Capital City Sports

Redskins Underwhelm Giants

2009-09-13T22:47:00.002-04:00

The Redskins first game of the 2009 NFL season looked a lot like the final eight games of the 2008 season.

The defense performed ok but not great and the offense was unproductive.

Let's start with the offense. Four plays in the first quarter? Clinton Portis runs for thirty four yards on the Redskins first play from scrimmage and then coach Zorn calls for a reverse? The play calling was, well for lack of a better word, terrible.

How many times do you run the ball off left tackle for two yards before you try something else? The passing game was more effective when Jason Campbell actually threw the ball. He had good protection for the most part but didn't connect on any long passes.

The offense only scored seven points and that was in hurry up mode with the Giants in a prevent defense. Special teams scored a touchdown and the defense by way of DeAngelo Hall's interception gift wrapped three points for the offense.

Jim Zorn needs to take the wraps off his young receivers and Jason Campbell too for that matter and open up the offense. This is not a running team any more. They can only run left and don't even do that particularly well.

The defense was supposed to be the strength of this team but played inconsistently at best. The defensive line didn't get much pressure on Eli Manning, the secondary was awful and they couldn't get the Giants off the field on third down.

Some will argue that this was only one game. That it was a road game. And that things will be ok. Fifteen more games like this will have Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell looking for employment elsewhere.

Free Michael Vick!

2009-07-23T22:46:00.004-04:00

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was released from federal custody this week.

However he is still being held captive by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

ESPN has reported that Goodell and Vick met for several hours on Wednesday to discuss possible reinstatement. Rumor has it that Vick may be reinstated as soon as next week but with an additional penalty of a four game suspension.

I may be in the minority here, but hasn't Mr. Vick already paid an enormous penalty for his participation in dog fighting? He served two years in the federal penal system with most of that time actually spent in a prison.

How is that a man can be vilified for fighting and killing dogs and imprisoned for 2 years yet a man that kills another man while driving under the influence (Donte Stallworth) gets a 30 day jail sentence and his license revoked?

Is the life of a dog more valuable than that of a human? I think not. Since when do civil liberties extend to animals?

Forget PETA. Maybe we need PETOP? People for the Ethical Treatment of other People!

I still can't believe that some people think justice was served by incarcerating Michael Vick. I find it even harder to believe that some people think he got off easy.

Vick's career has been derailed. He lost his primary source of income (football) and his secondary source of income (endorsements) and has lost two years of his life that he can never get back. Vick has paid his debt society and should be allowed to resume his football career without further penalty.

I am amazed at some of the comments regarding Vick posted on the internet. People have said things like, "Michael Vick is evil" and "The man has a flawed character like a child abuser or sex offender, the kind that needs to be taken off the street and away from decent society."

I respond to these comments by saying, are you kidding me?

Take a man off the street forever because he killed some dogs? Why don't we take all racists off the street as well? It can be argued that racists are evil. It is certainly not Godly to attack people for looking different or having different religious beliefs. Oh, but racism is not a crime, is it?

But discrimination is. The NFL is discriminating against Michael Vick by not allowing him to return to work. It's as if he checked the "yes" box on a job application that asks if you have ever been convicted of a crime.

Does everybody that commits a crime deserve a second chance? No. Does the punishment always fit the crime? No. Michael Vick and Donte Stallworth have both been unfairly punished for their actions, Vick too harshly and Stallworth not harsh enough.

The court of public opinion will deliberate for months whether Michael Vick should be allowed to resume his NFL football career. Apparently Roger Goodell will deliberate for another week.

It's time to free Michael Vick now and let him get on with his life.

Lady Terps Take on Louisville in March to the Arch

2009-03-30T14:05:00.006-04:00

Melanie Balcomb, Vanderbilt's head coach, told her players before Saturday's game that "Maryland wants to play UConn in the Final Four, but that we want to play Maryland today". It was a subtle message to her team that Maryland was overlooking them. The Maryland Terps have higher aspirations than reaching the Sweet 16 or Elite 8. And they should.

They've done that 3 of the last 4 years. These Terps have two seniors that won the national title as freshman. Kristi Toliver and Marissa Coleman know what it takes to win. They should also know that they can't overlook any team at this point of the tournament. Only a stellar effort from Marissa Coleman allowed Maryland to survive and advance last Saturday. Maryland can not afford to spot Louisville 18 points tonight and expect to win. As good as Vanderbilt was defensively, Louisville is better. What Jennifer Risper lacked in size, Angel McCoughtry has. McCoughtry might be a better overall defender than Risper and Risper gave Maryland fits until she got in foul trouble.

Louisville's coach, Jeff Walz, is a former Maryland assistant. This may not help him much in developing a game plan because only two players remain from his tenure in College Park. Toliver and Coleman must play well in order for Maryland to win. The supporting cast must play better than it did against Vanderbilt.

Lynetta Kizer needs to play like she's 6'-4" which means she needs to dominate the paint. Dee Liles needs to defend and rebound. Kim Rodgers and Marah Strickland need to make shots. Brenda Frese needs to make her team realize that the most important game is the next game.

Maryland may or may not have the personnel necessary to defeat UConn, but it won't matter if they can't beat Louisville. If they can take it one step at a time and realize that the next game is the 4th step in a 6 step process they may get a chance to make history.

Agent Zero Ready for Return

2009-03-24T21:39:00.002-04:00

The Washington Wizards' $111 million dollar, two time all star guard Gilbert Arenas appears to be near a return to the court. Arenas has indicated that he will make his season debut Saturday night in a home game against Detroit. The question I have is, why now? There are only ten games left in the season for the Wizards. They stand a very good chance of landing the number one pick in this spring's NBA draft lottery and with that the opportunity to draft Blake Griffin of the University of Oklahoma. Arenas' presence might rejuvenate the Wizards, propel them to a few more wins and adversely affect their draft position.

There is of course no guarantee that the worse record in the NBA will yield the top pick in the 2009 NBA draft. The Wizards were perennial lottery participants throughout the '90's and the first two years of this decade, but only won the top pick once (2001). That proved to be a bad year to get lucky. The Wizards selected Kwame Brown who has turned out to be the worst number one draft pick this side of LaRue Martin. I like the Wizards chances this time around and feel confident that General Manager Ernie Grunfeld will get it right and select Griffin should he decide to leave school early. Griffin is exactly the type of player the Wizards need. He will provide a low post presence, runs the floor well and is a rebounding machine. A line-up consisting of a healthy Arenas, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Blake Griffin and Brendan Haywood could compete with any team in the eastern conference.

This brings me back to why Arenas is returning now. If he is totally healthy, he should play. If he is not, he shouldn't. Arenas needs to show that he can still play at a high level. The Wizards need to know that they made a wise investment when they re-signed him. From that stand point it makes sense for Arenas to play. However, as much as I enjoy seeing Arenas at his best I'd rather see the Wizards get the top draft pick this year. Mr. Grunfeld if you are listening, keep Agent Zero on ice this season, come back with a new slogan next year (we owe you one) and pray nobody else gets injured.

Washington Sports - Changes We Didn't Count On

2008-11-24T22:27:00.003-05:00

President-elect Barack Obama campaigned on a platform of change. His campaign slogan was "Change We Can Believe In". Washington's professional football and basketball teams have endured some changes in the past year - changes we didn't believe would happen and most recently changes we didn't see coming.

The change we didn't think would happen.

Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs decided to retire again in January. After an exhaustive search owner Daniel Snyder decided to hand the coaching reigns over to a man with no NFL head coaching experience, Jim Zorn. Not much was expected of the Redskins this season, yet they are tied for second place in their division with a 7-4 record. Those seven victories include road wins over Dallas and Philadelphia. With all the change around Redskins Park one thing has remained the same. The Redskins formula for winning is still the same as it was during the Gibbs regime. Run the ball on offense, stop the run on defense and win the turnover battle.

The change we didn't see coming.

Washington Wizards coach Eddie Jordan was the longest tenured coach in the NBA's eastern conference. After a dismal 1-10 star to the NBA season, the Washington Wizards fired Eddie Jordan today. Some would say that Jordan's dismissal is justified based on the Wizards record and uninspired play. They would say that the Wizards should not have lost to a Knicks team with only eight players dressed last Saturday night. And I would agree with all of that.

I do not believe however that firing Jordan will fix what ails the Wizards. If you take two starters [Arenas & Haywood] and a key reserve [Antonio Daniels] off any NBA team that team is bound to struggle. If those two starters are the team's best offensive and defensive players...well, then you have the Wizards. You need to look higher up the food chain to determine what ails the Wizards. Ernie Grunfeld is the person responsible for assembling the talent or lack thereof on this team. Ernie Grunfeld gave a $111 million contract to a player [Gilbert Arenas] that has played about twenty-two games in the past 18 months. Ernie Grunfeld re-signed Antawn Jamison for $50 million over four years. Ernie Grunfeld signed Andrae Blatche to a contract extension. But Ernie Grunfeld still has his job.

If I asked you to bake an apple pie but gave you all of the ingredients except apples could you bake the pie? Eddie Jordan was like a chef without all of those ingredients. What he had without Arenas and Haywood is the crust. It's a shame that the players didn't put forth more effort for him. Jordan had more succes with this franchise than any other coach in the past 20 years.

Ed Tapscott is a short term fix for a long term problem. He has no NBA head coaching experience. The Wizards presently have no salary cap room and won't for many years unless some trades can be made.

As the leadership in Washington, DC changes from Democrat to Republican and experienced to inexperienced Washington sports fans can only hope that the changes they didn't expect continue and the changes they didn't see coming lead to a new start.

Redskins Stuck in Neutral

2008-11-18T13:27:00.004-05:00

A season that started off so poorly, then began to look promising has suddenly begun to look like so many recent seasons for the Washington Redskins. The burgundy and gold's offense has been stuck in neutral the past five weeks averaging a paltry fourteen points per game. The defense has been outstanding during the same period, yielding only sixteen points per game.

What's wrong with the offense? Where shall I start? The play calling is unimaginative. You can't keep calling screen passes if you don't stretch the field first by throwing deep passes. You can't keep running draw plays on second and long. You can't even call a deep pass route if your offensive line can't pass block although not every sack is the O-line's fault though. Jason Campbell tends to hold the ball too long and the 2nd and 3rd string running backs don't pass block well.

The offensive woes cannot be traced to a single issue. It's a combination of predictable play calling and poor execution. After ten games, the league has plenty of film on Jim Zorn's offense. In the NFL teams will keep doing the same thing until you prove you can stop it. The Redskins can expect opposing defenses to apply heavy pressure on Jason Campbell and play tight press coverage on the receivers until he proves he can complete some long passes.

The Washington Redskins fans can expect a once promising season to end again without a playoff berth if the offense doesn't begin to pull its weight. The time is now with six games remaining, four of which are against teams with little hope of making the playoffs. Hopefully coach Jim Zorn will take his foot off the brake, put the Redskins' offense in gear and drive them into the playoffs.

Wizards Need Some Magic

2008-11-06T23:27:00.005-05:00

Word out of D.C. is that Wizards head coach Eddie Jordan is planning to shake things up. I say shake 'em like a martini Eddie. Once again, this talented team is off to a slow start. The Wizards started the 2007-2008 season 0-5 and currently own an 0-3 record, good enough for last place in the Southeast Division. The Wizards were expected to miss Gilbert Arenas aka Agent Zero games played, but who thought they would miss Brendan Haywood? Say what you want about Haywood but all he did last season was have a career year, playing solid basketball at both ends of the court consistently. Jordan has decided to start Etan Thomas at center this season and while I love Thomas' passion for the game and aggressive style of play, he is just not a starting NBA center.

The second problem with this team is the starting guard play. The Wizards currently start two guards that are not a threat to score. This enables opposing teams to load up on Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison without fear of Antonio Daniels and DeShawn Stevenson making shots. Speaking of the Wizards two active all stars. They must stop settling for jump shots. I know that this team does not have a low post presence so Butler and Jamison must exploit match ups whenever possible to fill that void.

In the last two games the Wizard's most productive line-up has included Nick Young and Juan Dixon at guard, Butler and Jamison at forward and either Darius Songaila or JaVale McGee at center. I'm not suggesting that these five players should constitute the starting unit but clearly they need to play more. Some would argue that the Dixon/Young backcourt is a liability defensively. I would say that this tandem has produced more steals and fast break points the past two games than the starters have in three. The bottom line is that this team is never going to be a great defensive team. The Wizards need to out score teams to win. Stevenson and Daniels aren't exactly locking down the opposing starters at guard so if they are not hitting shots they have to sit.

The Wizards best option at center right now is the rookie JaVale McGee. He's an athletic 7-footer with average big man skills, but again he is 7 feet tall. He will block a couple of shots a game and alter a few others. McGee's youthful energy can really help the team with rebounding at this point. The most disappointing facets of the Bucks game were the poor free throw shooting and turnovers. Seventeen missed free throws and twenty turnovers. That's a recipe for defeat most nights. With the next two games against the new look New York Knicks and superman's Orlando Magic the prospects of another 0-5 or worse start are pretty good. Now is a good time to shake things up.

Wizards Sign Jamison, Agree to Terms with Arenas

2008-07-05T23:59:00.003-04:00

As Gomer Pyle used to say, "surprise, surprise". Who said that Wizards owner Abe Pollin is cheap? Oh yeah, that was me. The Wizards have retained their two big name free agents, Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas and appear to have the cap room necessary to sign another role player. One question I will attempt to answer here is who that additional player should be. But first let's look at the Jamison and Arenas deals.

Jamison had a great year, an all-star season, averaging 21 pts and 10 reb per game. Having said that he is 32 years old and will be 36 by the time his new 4 year $50 million contract expires. I understand that the first year salary will be around $9 million. I was thinking that Jamison should have received a contract that averaged $9 million a year and apparently the Wizards initially thought the same. It has been reported that their first offer to Jamison was for 3 years and $27 million.

The Wizards offered Gilbert Arenas the maximum allowable salary under the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, $127 million over six years. The question I have is...is Arenas a max player? When I think of a max player I think of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett - players that have won MVP awards and championships...players that have made their teams better with unselfish play, not players who have made their teams better by not playing. Don't get me wrong. Arenas is a very good player, especially at the end of games when he can either create a shot or get to the foul line. It's the time between minute number one and minute 47 that concerns me. It's the matador defense and poor shot selection that concerns me.

I am not however, concerned with Arena's character. Off the court he realizes that he can't do it all by himself. He left about $16 million on the table when he agreed to accept $111 million dollars over 6 years. This is no small amount of money especially in this era of me, me, me I gotta get mine athletes. I applaud Agent 0 for his generosity. I can only hope that he has come to realize that he can't do it alone on the court as well.

Washington has not made any significant changes to its roster since the end of the season. They drafted a 7-footer from the University of Nevada, JeVale McGee, but it's hard to imagine him contributing much next season. They will have to get it done with virtually the same players they had last season. The thinking around the Verizon Center is that the Wizards are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference when they are healthy. The problem is that they are rarely healthy. They need to sign another small forward/big guard to provide depth behind the eternally brittle Caron Butler. Matt Barnes would be my choice. He can play the '2' or '3'. Barnes is a decent defender and can help spread the defense by making perimeter shots. Nick Young and Dominic McGuire need more playing time. They have proven they can be effective when given minutes. Andrae Blatche and Oleksiy Pecherov need to show me something. Blatche was inconsistent and Pecherov only seemed interested in jacking up 3-pt shots whenever he entered a game. Note to Stewie...you are not Dirk Nowitzky. Get in the paint, rebound and block shots. We don't need you to shoot 3-pointers. If you want to play get in the paint and make something happen.

There is frequent chatter on sports talk radio about the Wizards needing a bruising big man. They already have one. He missed the entire 2007-2008 season. Yes, I'm talking about Etan Thomas. What's wrong with a starting line-up of Arenas, Butler, Haywood, Thomas and Jamison? Every team and every line-up needs role players. My proposed line-up yields 3 scorers and 2 role players. Basketball is a game of match-ups. It's time for the coaching staff to start thinking outside the box. The Wizards need to identify roles for the bench players and put them in situations (favorable match-ups) that allow them to have success. That will keep Arenas, Jamison and Butler fresh by reducing their minutes. Only then will this team come close to realizing its potential. Good talent can only take you so far. Good chemistry can take you all the way to the title.

Wizards Win and Go Home

2008-04-30T22:50:00.003-04:00

What does a team do when its franchise player announces an hour before tip-off of an elimination game that he is doing a "Jerry Stackhouse"...shutting it down for the season? The team, the Washington Wizards, goes out and plays one of its best games of the playoffs and survives to play another day. Gilbert Arenas has decided that his left knee is not fit enough for him to play at a level that will help the Wizards win. Apparently he forgot to tell coach Eddie Jordan because he [Jordan] was planning to start Arenas in game five.

There has been a lot of talk about Washington being a better team without Arenas. They are not. Washington is a better team without an injured Arenas though. It was nice to see Roger Mason in the game for Washington's final offensive possession. All Mason has done all season is play consistent, smart basketball. He doesn't try to do more than he's capable of on offense and plays very good defense. Arenas' absence should also free up some minutes for rookie Nick Young. Other than Butler and Arenas, Young is the one Wizard who can create a shot for himself and his teammates.

There is no secret to the defensive formula for defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers. Rebound the ball. Defend the paint. And close out on the 3-point shooters. The problem for the Washington Wizards has been executing that plan. The Wizards had played well for 46 and a half minutes but found themselves trailing the Cavaliers by 5 points with 1:30 left in the game. The season appeared to be all but over. A couple of missed Cleveland 3-point shots later the Wizards trailed by one with 12 seconds left. Washington inbounded the ball to Caron Butler who took LeBron James to the basket to score with 3.9 seconds left. That is an eternity when you have a player like James who can score pretty much at will or set up a teammate with an open shot.

Lebron James has tormented the Wizards for the past three seasons with end of game heroics. This time, however, he was not able to get the job done. His driving layup bounced off the rim as time expired. Maybe the "course o' lez boulez" has finally been lifted? This sets up a return to D.C. for game 6. What type of game will we see? I think that game six will look a lot like games one, four and five with the the keys being rebounding and end of game execution. Hopefully the basketball gods will once again smile upon the Wizards because if they lose game six they don't go home, they stay home.

Wizards Clip L.A., Agent 0 Close to Return

2008-03-16T22:33:00.002-04:00

Wow! Talk about pulling victory from the jaws of defeat. That's exactly what the 'zards did Saturday night in downtown Washington at the arena D.C. fans know as the phone booth. The Wizards hadn't actually played that poorly, yet they were on the brink of losing this important home game.

They shot the ball poorly from the field, but remained close to the Clippers by out rebounding them and shooting 79% from the free throw line. The Clippers went ahead 92-87 on a Nick Fazekas bank shot with 2:31 remaining in regulation and the Wizards faithful began to file out of the arena. The Wizards kept scrapping though and found themselves behind 98-94 with 7 seconds left in the 4th quarter.

It was at this point that L.A. did what losing teams do...fail to close out the game. They allowed Antawn Jamison to make a 3-point shot with 4 seconds left to cut the deficit to 1. After a pair of Tim Thomas free throws made the score 100-97 Cuttino Mobley did the unthinkable. He fouled Antawn Jamison on a 3-point attempt. Somebody please explain to me the reasoning behind the NBA's ball advancement rule following a timeout. Washington called timeout after the Thomas free throws and was then able to advance the ball across half court for the throw-in. This made it much easier for the Wizards to set up the play that resulted in Mobley's ill-timed foul. Why do the best athletes in the world need this extra advantage? How in the world could Cuttino Mobley foul Jamison on a 3-point attempt? Even more surprising than that was the fact that Jamison made all three free throws.

The game goes into overtime and the Wizards rode that wave of momentum to a stunning 119-109 victory. This game went from one of those you look back on and say..."if we had won that game..." to one that makes you think "winning this game gave us so much confidence" I was prepared to write about how disappointing this loss was, but had to change my focus. This was an impressive win. Brendan Haywood was a late scratch from the line-up due to a sore knee. Caron Butler was playing only his second game in the past month and Gilbert Arenas has been out of action since November.

Coach Eddie Jordan should be considered for coach of the year. Nobody has done more with less this season. The silver lining in the cloud that is the Wizards injury situation is that Nick Young, Andray Blatche and Dominic McGuire have gotten valuable minutes and all have made significant contributions this season.

The latest news on the Arenas watch is that Agent zero is set to undergo an MRI exam on his left knee Monday, the results of which will determine if he is ready for game action. Arenas is understandably concerned with re-injuring himself and missing out on a huge pay day this summer. Here is my two cents. If he is not 100% healthy he shouldn't play. If his knee is structurally sound and pain-free he should play. Arenas loves to play basketball. He'd play for free. In fact he did play for free as a rookie in Golden State. He wasn't getting much playing time so he began playing in a recreation league in the Oakland area. When the Warriors found out they made him stop. There is a lot more at stake for Arenas this time around but he has made more than $50M in the past five years so if he is hurting for money right now, shame on him.

No Cavalier Performance by the Wizards

2008-02-22T22:41:00.003-05:00

The Washington Wizards reached a new level of futility tonight. They faced a Cleveland Cavalier team that had only 6 regular players in uniform. In fact the Cavs had to sign two D-League players in order to reach the NBA mandate of 8 players in uniform. Yet the Wizards still found a way to lose the game. They were beaten on the boards 43-31. The team defense was lousy as evidenced by the fact that Damon Jones scored 27 points. Damon Jones can do two things well...shoot 3-pointers and run his mouth.

The Wizards allowed Jones to do both while never exploiting his weaknesses...he's a poor on the ball defender and ballhandler. He didn't need to dribble however, because he was getting wide open 3-point shots all night. Jones scored 10 field goals, 7 of them triples, none of them contested. I think it's fair to say that the Cavs would not have won this game without Jones' scoring. LeBron James scored 33 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Only one other Cleveland player scored in double figures. Five Washington players scored in double figures which only goes to prove that it's not the quantity of the scoring but the quality of it that counts.

They never really exploited the Cavs small line-up.

They jacked up early shot clock jump shots instead of exploiting the size advantage they had along the front line.

They failed to close out on shooters.

Sure...the Wizards are missing players too, but the players on their roster have been with the team the entire season. I doubt that a team comprised of Gilbert Arenas, Roger Mason, Oleksiy Pecherov, Dominic McGuire and Darius Songaila could have defeated an NBA team missing two of its starters. All this game did was enhance LeBron's profile as an MVP candidate and push the Wizards a step closer to missing the playoffs. They are 1-10 in their last 11 games with an overall record of 25-29, good for 6th place in the Eastern Conference. Washington has very little margin for error right now. This team needs its veterans to play at a high level physically and mentally. It also wouldn't hurt to get Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas back in the line-up. But more than anything, this team needs to string together some wins. That will take a more cavalier approach to the game than we've seen lately.

Terps have a Devil of a Time in Durham

2008-02-18T00:45:00.002-05:00

Maryland coach Brenda Frese gave birth to twin boys Sunday. The inside/outside combination of Crystal Langhorne and Kristi Toliver gave birth to a Terps victory. Maryland is the more talented team and expected to win this game. The Terps however, needed to win this game to prove to the nation and themselves that they are legitimate title contenders. One would think that with a record of 27-2 there would be no doubt about this team. Yet there is. Maryland has played many close games this year against teams with inferior talent. This is because they still struggle with teams that employ an aggressive pressing defense.

From the start of Sunday's game it was apparent that the Terps were intent on getting the ball inside to Langhorne and Laura Harper. This strategy was very successful for the first 10 minutes of the game. They built a 14 point lead on the strength of strong interior play from Langhorne and Harper. The ball movement on offense was excellent. Then Duke started to press --a 2-1-2 zone trap. And Kristi Toliver started to dribble around in circles like she is a Harlem Globetrotter. And the turnovers began to stack up like rush hour traffic on the Woodrow Wilson bridge. The formula for beating Maryland is well-known. Play physical defense, especially on Kristi Toliver, pound the boards and attack the Terp's frontline with your post players.

The Duke press was very effective and largely responsible for producing 24 turnovers by Maryland. The Blue Devils cut the 14 point deficit to 5 late in the 2nd half. They had Toliver frustrated - 12 turnovers. Then something odd happened. They stopped pressing. They committed silly turnovers. They took wild shots. Duke allowed Maryland to escape with a well-earned 76-69 victory...and hopefully gave birth to a more confident, determined Terps team that will go deep into the 2008 NCAA tournament.

Lady Terps Look a Little Hokie

2008-02-04T22:19:00.000-05:00

The Terps usually break their huddles by yelling "champions". It would be nice if they played like champions. Last night in Blacksburg they looked like anything but champs while falling behind by 20 points in the first 6 minutes of the game with Virginia Tech. They had more turnovers than points 6-2. The game resembled a layup line for the Hokies. Had the Terps taken the Hokies too lightly? Was it a case of the 4th ranked Terps getting the best shot of every team they play? Maybe it was a little of both. Or maybe this team just isn't made of championship material. I see too many mistakes made by experienced players for the Terps to go far in this year's NCAA tournament.

The guards have difficulty handling pressure defenses and tend to make bad decisions with the ball even when not being pressured. Surprisingly, the leaders of the turnover parade are the juniors and seniors. The offense stagnates and the team is ofeten reduced to watching Kristi Toliver dribble around the perimeter and jack up jump shots. That's the bad news.

The good news is that the Terps have a 24-2 record after having rallied to defeat Virginia Tech 74-71 in OT. The same players that tried to hand the game to Tech in the first half (Toliver, Langhorne, Harper & Coleman) played up to their potential in the second half. Coach Park's use of a 2-3 zone was very effective in stopping the dribble penetration of Andrea Barbour and containing the outside shooting of Brittaney Cook. Even though junior Kristi Toliver still makes many questionable decisons in her role as the Terps' primary ball handler, there is no one I'd rather see shoot the ball with the game on the line. I would like to see the coaches develop some of the young talent on the team. The Terps will need depth in order to realize their goal of a national championship. Otherwise this season will have a hokie ending just like the last.

Our Kids are Not Safe Anywhere

2008-01-10T22:32:00.000-05:00

Officiating basketball games at the youth recreation through high school level is my avocation. Most of the kids I encounter display good sportsmanship at all times. Of course if they don't, it's my job as an official to penalize them for their misconduct. In the real world parents and guardians are the officials. It's our job to penalize our children for poor behavior. More often than not, we are falling short of the mark in this area. The rash of violence by and against children in recent weeks in the D.C. area is troubling if not surprising. There are adults killing children, children killing children and children killing themselves. Some of you are thinking "I thought this was a sports blog, why is he talking about kids and violence?". Frankly, from what I hear from the stands during games, I'm not surprised at the violence in our communities. How can the kids be expected to display good sportsmanship and follow the rules if we don't set that example for them? Children are not born bad. Behavior both good and bad is learned.

When I arrived at the site of my game assignment on Tuesday I learned that there had been a shooting near C.H. Flowers High School. Flowers is well known for its science and technology program that draws students from all over the county. What may not be so well known is that not all of the neighborhoods that feed children to Flowers High School are created equal. There are kids from Glenarden, Palmer Park and Ardmore attending Flowers. According to a story in the Washington Post, there are gangs representing each of these areas and students from these gangs attending Flowers. The principle of Flowers High School, Helena Nobles-Jones says that "claims that the shooting involved gang activity at the school were hysteria". She does admit to seeing graffiti tags at the school, but denies that there is any connection between gangs and any incidents that brought harm to her students. It may be premature to make that assumption, but I think there is some degree of ignorance in Ms. Jones' statement.

The problem with these neighborhood gangs or crews as some call them is that they are a team in and of themselves. They are comprised of people with similar backgrounds who most likely lack a sense of family at home. Their members don't value life and don't hesitate to use weapons to settle disputes. We as parents have to participate in the lives of our children. We must be advocates for them. We must model acceptable behavior for them. Sports can be used as a tool to teach kids good sportsmanship and teamwork. Please model that behavior at home as well. Please talk to your children. Please listen to your children. Please give them a reason to live so that more innocent lives are not snuffed out by senseless acts of violence.

'Skins in it to Win It

2008-01-04T21:08:00.000-05:00

Who would have thought four weeks ago that the burgundy and gold would be preparing for a playoff game in January? Certainly not me. Losing games is tough, but losing a teammate and friend during the season is almost unthinkable. I figured the 'skins would either win the rest of their games following the death of Sean Taylor or lose the rest of their games. They won four of their last five games. And they didn't win those games with the help of any heavenly intervention from the spirit of Sean Taylor either. The burgundy and gold's resurgence can be attributed to an offense that has played mistake free football in combination with an opportunistic defense that is gotten better at taking the ball away from its opponents. Todd Collins stepped into the starting QB job when Jason Campbell injured his left knee and has yet to throw an interception. Shawn Springs is playing his best ball of the season with 4 interceptions in the last 4 games. The entire team from the coaches to the players seems to have a focus that was lacking during the middle of the season.

Not only are the 'skins in the playoffs, but they are primed to make a long run. There isn't a team in the NFC playing better than them right now. The only team in the NFC playoff bracket that they haven't faced this season is Seattle. If this team can continue to play as it has the past 4 weeks you have got to like its chances of advancing deep into the playoffs. Seattle has a very good quarterback and a decent defense but that's about it. The best thing the Seahawks have going for them in Saturday's wild card game is their home field advantage. The 'hawks are 7-1 at Qwest Field this season. I expect Gregg Williams to devise a defensive scheme that will put pressure on Matt Hasselbeck. This may require some creative blitz packages so it will be imperative that the corners cover well and make good tackles after the catch. I expect Seattle to try the same approach with Todd Collins. Collins is a pocket passer who will hang onto the ball as long as possible to give his receivers time to run their routes. If the offensive line can keep Seattle's defense out of Collins' face he will have time to pick apart their secondary.

The offense has been more dynamic in the last 4 weeks as Al Saunders has let us see more of his 700 page playbook now that he has a QB he trusts. Yes, it's true. Either Saunders or Gibbs doesn't trust Jason Campbell to manage the game because the play calling has been different since Collins became the starter. Campbell's decision making had been questionable especially at the end of close games against Tampa and Dallas. The coaching staff will never admit it but it's obvious that Collins would continue to start even if Campbell were healthy. Jason Campbell is the future of the Washington Redskins at the QB position, but the future is not now. Now is the time when you need a savvy veteran. Now is the time to play your best ball. Now that we're in it, let's win it!

No Joy this Holiday Season in Gary-land

2007-12-27T23:35:00.000-05:00

The Maryland men's basketball team is certainly doing it's part to preserve parity in college basketball. The program has hit a definite low point with losses to Ohio University (not The Ohio State University) and American University in the last two games. The Terps had not lost to AU since the 1926-27 season. Eighty years of dominance was lost in one afternoon of uninspired, poorly coached play. Gary Williams won a national title in 2002 with a veteran team of over achievers led by the brilliant play of Juan Dixon. Williams however has failed to capitalize on that success in subsequent recruiting classes. Williams seems to prefer the type of player that will be around for 4 years. The problem with that line of thinking is that Gary does a poor job of player development. James Gist is arguably the Terps most talented player, yet he has not shown the development one would expect over the past four years. How does a senior score only 3 points against AU?

It's not that troubling to think of James Gist as the Terps most talented player. What is troubling is that Gist is not that talented a player...so if he is your best player you need to recruit, recruit, recruit. The Baltimore/Washington metro area produces some of the best high school players in the nation every year. Very few if any of these players choose to attend Maryland. And those that do can't seem to get on the court. UM Freshman Dino Gregory was one of the top forwards in the Baltimore area last season. He averages 7.3 minutes per game. Gary Williams has to make a decision...either recruit the type of player that can be successful in your system or change the system. Go after the local blue chip players who may only stay in school one or two years. Williams has Sean Mosley (Baltimore St. Francis HS) , the 13th ranked shooting guard in the nation (Rivals.com) coming in next year. He lost Terrence Jennings (ranked 15th in the country by Rivals.com) , a 6-10 forward from Massachusetts who had previously orally committed to Maryland. Jennings has chosen to attend Louisville instead. Who can blame him? If I had a choice of playing for Rick Pitino or Gary Williams I'd choose Pitino 10 out of 10 times.

Of the top 150 high school players listed on Rivals.com who haven't committed to a university, only Teeng Akol (114th) includes Maryland on his list of schools under consideration. Akol is described as a raw player with potential. Not exactly what is needed in College Park. Maybe Gary should walk down the hall to Brenda Frese's office and get some tips on recruiting. Frese won a national title in 2006 and followed that with two very nice recruiting classes. It may not be fair to compare men and women college basketball since most women play 4 years, but it is fair to expect the same recruiting success following a national title.

Just as past performance is not indicative of future results in the stock market, so it is with college basketball. The Maryland men's basketball program has fallen out of the national spotlight in recent years. It is going to take a major infusion of talent to turn things around. Are the right people in place to get the job done? Only time will tell, but the natives of Gary-land are getting restless, so Williams had better turn this around sooner rather than later.

Wizards Lack a Closer

2007-12-22T16:19:00.000-05:00

In baseball most good teams have a pitcher who comes in at the end of games and shuts down the opposition...the Closer. On TV Kyra Sedgwick portrays a cop who always solves the case...she is the Closer for the homicide department. The Wizards are missing their Closer, Gilbert Arenas a.k.a agent zero. Arenas' closing ability is not that of a defensive stopper. Arenas is the Wizards offensive Closer...the player that can create his own shot, get a better shot for a teammate at the end of close games, or get to the foul line and score points while the clock is not running.

The Wizards lack of a Closer has never been more evident than in the past two games. The 'zards were either tied or ahead in the last five minutes of the 4th quarter. But their inability to execute the late game offense combined with key defensive breakdowns have led to the current two-game losing streak. Anybody that says the Wizards are a better team without Arenas is sadly mistaken. Yes, the ball movement on offense has been better without Arenas. However, this is the way the team must play because it's missing a guy that can drop 30, 40 or 50 points on any given night. Hopefully Arenas can see that he doesn't need to be a 30 ppg player in order for the team to be successful. Hopefully Arenas' teammates realize how his presence on the court can make the game easier for them.

Eddie Jordan has certainly done a remarkable job keeping the ship afloat considering that two of his top sailors (Arenas & Daniels) are injured. And let's not forget about the loss of Etan Thomas and the fact that Oleksiy Pecherov has yet to take the court. Brendan Haywood has raised his level of play but given his history one can't help but wonder will it last. I'd really like to see what the Wizards would look like with a full roster of healthy players. Unfortunately this may never happen. A number of questions will have to be answered in the off season...will Arenas opt out of his contract? Will the team re-sign Antawn Jamison and if so at what cost? Will Etan Thomas ever play again? Will Eddie Jordan be back if the Wizards don't go deep into the playoffs?

The questions that need to be answered now are...who is going to consistently step up and help CB & AJ score the ball while Arenas is out? Can a jump shooting team like the 'zards ever be better than a .500 team? What happens if Caron or Antawn get injured? and Who is going to be the Closer?

Suns Set on Wizards

2007-12-09T22:26:00.000-05:00

The Phoenix Suns rolled into D.C. on Friday and made it real hot in the phone booth. Statistically this game was close for three quarters. Unfortunately for the Wizards basketball is a four quarter game. The Suns turned a 5 point halftime lead into 24 point lead at the end of the third quarter. If you are a true basketball fan, you have to enjoy watching the Suns. Their ball movement on offense is a thing of beauty. Phoenix scored 50 field goals and recorded 42 assists, with Steve Nash handing out 19 alone. I'm no math wiz, but it doesn't take one to figure out that all but eight of the 50 goals scored by the Suns were assisted. That is awesome team basketball!!

This is one loss that the 'zards can not feel too bad about. They shot 47% from the field, 80% from the foul line, played the Suns even on the boards, scored 107 points and still lost the game. Sometimes the other team just plays better...not that the Wizards played their best. But they played well enough to beat most teams Friday night. The Suns however, are a cut above most NBA teams.

Same Old Song

2007-12-03T22:34:00.000-05:00

Some people will blame Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills on the emotional condition of the team following the untimely death of Sean Taylor. Others will blame coach Joe for calling successive time-outs (garnering an unsporting conduct penalty of 15 yards) thereby giving the Bills kicker what amounted to a chip shot field goal. If only it were so simple. These were factors. This game, however, was lost when the burgundy and gold had to settle for three field goals in the red zone in the first half. This game was lost when the 'skin's offense failed to get a first down in the last two minutes of the game. This game was lost when the 'skins' defense failed to make a stop in the last minute of the game. This game was lost the same way so many others have. Poor execution. Questionable play calling. Poor game management. Poor decision making. One can only hope that this season isn't lost.

The players talked about winning for Sean before the game. Afterward they sang a familiar tune. "We didn't finish". I'm as tired of that song as I am the "Superman". Stop making excuses. Stop making mistakes. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Start scoring touchdowns. Start executing the plays. Then maybe you will start winning football games. Otherwise you will be singing that same old woulda, coulda shoulda song the next 4 games and watching the playoffs on tv just like me.

No Morale in Moral Victories

2007-11-22T12:03:00.000-05:00

The burgundy and gold once again came close to winning a game. It's too bad that the game they were playing wasn't horseshoes instead of football. You can win a game by getting close to the pin in horseshoes, but in the NFL you must have a killer instinct. The 'skins once again took a lead into half-time and once again failed to hold it. Some solace can be taken in the fact that the passing game was very effective. It was good to see the coaches finally take the handcuffs off Jason Campbell. It was not good to see the defense continue to allow big passing plays. You can't tell me that one man (Sean Taylor) makes that much of a difference in the pass defense.

The Cowboys found a weakness in the 'skins zone defense and exploited it...repeatedly. How can any defense allow Terrell Owens to run virtually untouched through the secondary? Why didn't Gregg Williams make any adjustments in the coverage? When the 'skins were in man coverage, Shawn Springs appeared to be a step behind T.O. on every such play. Has he lost a step or was he using poor technique? I don't know but he needs to play at a higher level if the pass defense is going to improve.

Coach Gibbs was criticized for being indecisive on short yardage calls in the Eagle game. He was decisive in the Cowboy game but once again leaned toward the conservative side. What sense did it make to throw the ball on 2nd and 1, 3rd and 1, then kick a field goal on 4th and 1? Coach Joe has got to develop more of a Belichick attitude in those situations and go for the jugular. Touchdowns beat field goals any day. The 'skins can't continue to leave points on the field. They need aggressive play calling. They need bold decision making. But above all, they need victories. There should be no satisfaction in playing well enough to lose.

No Arenas, No Problem?

2007-11-22T09:53:00.000-05:00

Welcome to day one of the Washington Wizards AA (after Arenas). The Wizards have followed a 5 game losing streak with a 6 game winning streak. The formula for this change of fortune has been improved ball movement and shooting on offense, better defensive rotations and a reduction in turnovers. This trend began prior to Agent 0's latest injury and has continued during the 3 games that Arenas has missed. It would be foolish to think that the 'zards can be a better team in terms of wins and losses without their all-star guard. But it is not foolish to think that they can be a better "team" in the sense of cohesive play. Arenas will be missed more at the end of quarters and games when some one needs to create a shot. He will not be missed on the defensive end of the court where his matador defense allowed opposing guards to get dribble penetration almost at will.

This is an opportunity for the young guys, Andray Blatche, Nick Young, Dominic McGuire and Roger Mason to step up their level of play. Blatche has shown signs that he is ready to accept that responsibility in the last 2 games (Philly & Charlotte). It remains to be seen whether he can consistently perform at this level. Young and McGuire are rookies. They will make errors, but they will bring energy and enthusiasm to this team. Young can flat out score. McGuire is a solid presence on defense. He is also an underrated passer.

The Wizards margin for error is very small right now. The current 6 game winning streak has been against some of the NBA's bottom feeders. These are the teams that the 'zards must defeat in order to stay in playoff contention. Yet, a win is a win. I'll take it. The loss of Arenas for at least 3 months will hurt, but it won't cripple the team. They will still be competitive and if Arenas is able to return this season...maybe they can surprise some people in the playoffs.

You Can't Go Back

2007-11-14T21:43:00.000-05:00

Joe Gibbs' second tour of duty in Washington or should I say Ashburn, VA has not been anything like the first. The burgundy & gold are currently in year 4 of Gibbs 2.0. The results to say the least have been underwhelming. Gibbs 1.0 earned kudos for imaginative game plans, play calling and in-game adjustments. Gibbs 2.0 is earning criticism for momentum killing play calling and poor clock management.

Gibbs hired Al Saunders to bring the 'skins offense out of the stone age, but seems to keep much Al's playbook locked in a cave. In a roster stocked with highly paid skill players, Saunders has all of the talent necessary to implement his dynamic 700 page playbook. The problem is that Coach Gibbs won't allow Saunders to have complete control of the offense. Six running plays from inside the 10 yard line last Sunday? Where is the play action pass? Where is the quick slant? Where is the fade? I can think of at least 10 other plays I would have called before I would even think about running a draw play.

The defense under the guidance of Gregg Williams started the season strong, but is now fading like a pair of old blue jeans. Would it have helped if the offense had scored two touchdowns in the 4th quarter last Sunday instead of field goals? Sure. But the defense gave up two very big plays...a 55 yard screen pass and a 45 yard TD bomb. On the screen pass the secondary was so far off the line of scrimmage that nobody could get a hand on Bryan Westbrook. Pierson Prioleau was in position to defend on the 45 yard pass to Reggie Brown but failed to make an adjustment to the flight of the ball.

Where does this leave the burgundy & gold? A record of 5-4 that could easily be 2-7 or 8-1 depending how you choose to look at it. I think a 5-4 record is fairly representative of the effort given by the coaching staff and players. I also think it's time to upgrade Gibbs 2.0 to Cowher 2.0 or somebody else 1.0. I respect Joe Gibbs for what he accomplished during his first tenure with the 'skins, but I doubt he will come close to matching that success this time around. Hiring Gibbs was a great public relations move by owner Daniel Snyder. But PR doesn't win ball games. Players win ball games and coaches put players in position to win ball games. The 'skins' coaches are not getting the job done. They are only proving that you can't go back to move forward.

Mark of Futility

2007-11-09T14:24:00.000-05:00

The Wizards have matched the worst start in franchise history. And in my opinion are one game closer to having a new coach. It is apparent that this team has given up on coach Eddie Jordan. All of the alleged emphasis that was placed on defense in the pre-season has been for naught. This team just doesn't get it on the defensive end of the court. The rotations are slow, the defensive rebounding is awful and there is no intensity at all. On the offensive end of the court the ball doesn't move enough. The usual offensive set consists of a pass and a shot...usually a jump shot. The Wizards are a team of jump shooters. The problem is that the shots are not falling. There is an old adage in basketball that says "if you live by the jump shot, you die by the jump shot." That pretty much sums up the Wizards season thus far -- dead!

There is no quick fix for the problems that ail this team. The team as it is currently constructed will continue to struggle if it is not making shots. Can you blame that on the coach? No, but I don't see many adjustments being made by the staff. The Wizards were unable to generate any offense against the zone defense New Jersey employed Thursday night. "They threw in that zone, and that was the game-change," Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. "We haven't worked against it enough to feel comfortable against it. It was a good strategy by them." Why haven't you worked against a zone in practice and why weren't you able to make adjustments during the game?

The Wizards allowed Bostjan Nachbar to score 10 points in the 4th quarter in the New Jersey game. Nachbar continued to get open looks even after hitting 3 consecutive shots early in the quarter. Jordan said "We thought we were closing out on him aggressively, but he really made some good shots, he and Richard." I don't know who he thought was closing out aggressively? I didn't see a defender within 6 feet of him on the two 3-pointers Nachbar drained.

In the Denver game dribble penetration by the guards especially AI was again a problem. Iverson was able to beat his man and dish the ball off to open shooters who were making shots. (the Nuggets recorded 30 assists). The Wizards also had no answer for Carmelo Anthony. Anthony is a bad match-up for most teams, but he is an especially tough cover for the 'zards because they lack a player with the combination of size and quickness to slow Melo down. The game was essentially over when he made 5 straight shots in the 3rd quarter to push the Denver lead into double digits.

The schedule doesn't get any easier in the near future. The Wizards play a much improved Atlanta team on the road Sunday then return to the VC to face Indiana on Wednesday. Each player needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask himself what he can do to help the team get out of this slump. Coach Jordan deserves better effort than he is getting from these players. I hope they don't end up getting him fired.

Fear for the Turtles

2007-11-05T18:32:00.000-05:00

The University of Maryland football program has taken a step backward this season. Injuries along the offensive line combined with ineffective play calling by coach Friedgen have caused the offense to struggle. Poor tackling and missed assignments have led to breakdowns on defense. The inability to sustain a high level of play for 4 quarters has led to 3 consecutive losses.

The Terps need 2 victories in their last 3 games in order to become "bowl eligible". That task will be hard to accomplish with 2 out of 3 on the road including games against Boston College & Florida State. How did the Terps get into this situation? It all starts and ends with the head coach, Ralph Friedgen. Friedgen has not successfully recruited the top talent in the Baltimore-Washington area. He let his best recruiter, Mike Locksley, leave in 2002. Friedgen won coach of the year honors in 2001 with players recruited by Locksley and his predecessor, Ron Vanderlinden. The Terps have not had the same level of success since those recruits have moved on. Meanwhile programs such as Illinois, Penn State and Florida have been able to gain a strong foothold on some of the best high school players in the D.C. area. Is it any coincidence that Mike Locksley has worked for both Florida and Illinois (currently offensive coordinator) since leaving Maryland)? I think not. Not only can coach Friedgen not recognize and sign the top talent in the area...he apparently can't recognize the top talent evaluators on his staff.

Maryland entered the season with a collection of unproven quarterbacks. Jordan Steffy is a brave young man. I admire him for his ability to come back from an assortment of injuries to compete for the starting QB job. However, I've seen nothing in his play for the past 3 years that indicates that he can be a competent NCAA Division I QB. I watched in disbelief at his inability to get passes off during the first three weeks of the season. I'm sorry that he was injured in the Rutgers game, but that injury was the impetus for a change that was long over due...the insertion of Chris Turner into the starting line-up. Turner has struggled at times, but his problems stem from a lack of game experience, not talent. I saw more down field passes completed by Turner in the second half of the Rutgers game than I saw in all of the games that Steffy started. What I haven't seen lately is coach Friedgen having the confidence in his young QB to take more chances down field. The Terps didn't take any long shots in the UVa game after scoring two early touchdowns and literally went into a shell (no pun intended) on offense. They subsequently lost the game when the defense allowed the Cavaliers to drive 86 yards in the final 6 minutes to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

So...the Terps stand at 4-5 after nine games needing to win 2 of 3 to become "bowl eligible". I hate that term, "bowl eligible". What it really means for the Terps is that they have had a lousy season and need 2 more wins to get invited to a lousy bowl game. The Terps should aspire to win conference and national championships, not become "bowl eligible". That change in philosophy needs to come from the top. Until that happens there will be far more fear for the turtles than fear of the turtles.

Wizards 0-2. Panic Time in DC? Maybe.

2007-11-03T13:10:00.000-04:00

Two games into the NBA season the Wizards are still looking for their first victory. Is it time to panic? Maybe. It seems that every pre-season Eddie Jordan places a high emphasis on improving the team's defense. And every season we end up with the same type of team...one that can score and can't stop the opposition from scoring. If the Wizards best defense is their offense Wizards fans are in for a long frustrating season.

The 'zards opened the season with an Indiana team that was missing two starters, one of which (Jermaine O'Neal) is a perennial all star. Yet they allowed this team to score 119 points! Both of the local newspapers hailed the 4th quarter play of Indiana point guard Jamal Tinsley. Tinsley scored 16 fourth quarter points and almost recorded a triple double. Tinsley was able to get into the lane at will and either score or kick the ball out to wide open teammates who unlike the Wizards, were able to make shots. Who was guarding Jamal Tinsley? It was none other than the beloved Agent 0, Gilbert Arenas, who lived up to that moniker by playing no defense.

Let me be clear. I am an Arenas fan. I love his passion for the game. He is a great talent (on offense). However, he is still a defensive liability. He also dominates the ball too much on offense. Basketball is a team sport. Arenas must learn to share the ball and make his teammates better to be the elite player he wants to be recognized as.

The Boston Celtics unveiled their "Big 3" Friday night in Boston, thoroughly whipping the Wizards 103-83. That's two bean town beatings in a week for D.C. area sports fans (the Patriots gutted the Redskins 52-7 on October 28th). I didn't see the entire game, but what I did see was disheartening. I saw a team playing with no energy, no defensive intensity and poor offensive execution. I saw players that have what I call a low basketball IQ. Some of the players just don't seem to understand what a 'good' basketball play is. For example, if your much maligned center (Brendan Haywood) is working his butt off getting offensive rebounds (11 in Indiana), what makes a player (DeShawn Stevenson) think that jacking up a 3-pointer is the proper play to make 2 seconds into the new shot clock? Why does Gilbert Arenas attempt a cross court pass from the post when Kevin Garnett is directly in the path of the pass? Why does Caron Butler throw a bounce pass through the legs of a 7-foot center cutting to the basket?

It may be early in the season, but Saturday night's home opener at Verizon Center is a must win for the Wizards. Hopefully the home crowd will energize them. They must prove to team management that keeping this team basically intact was the right thing to do. Much has been said about the Wizards having the best record in the eastern conference before injuries began to take a toll on the roster. Not much has been written about the fact that chinks in the armor were apparent before then. The Wizards had what amounts to one good month (December) last season. Let's hope they get it together and play at a consistently high level this season. The bar of expectations has been raised for this team. It's no longer enough to make the playoffs. Nothing less than a deep run into the postseason will be seen as a failure.