Game Girl

U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi...you're UGLY! That about sums up how I feel right now about my beloved team, who really laid a serious egg yesterday and made a mockery of my recent optimism and belief in their (possibly) brighter future. Wow, was that bad!

OK, so maybe that 3-4 defense ISN'T a good fit for our current personnel. Maybe our offensive line is still a MAJOR work in progress. Perhaps Clinton Portis is injured or simply hated by Mike Shanahan. I don't know, but something was messing with their mojo yesterday in a big way. And boy, did it show.

I just don't get it. How can a team who has made such steady improvement over the past few months regress in such horrible fashion? It was Zorn-like, that loss. We were totally domintated in all three phases of the game. I had a bad feeling about things as soon as the punter went down and was helped off the field in tears. Yikes...I knew it was going to be a LONG day at that point, and that was hours before kick-off.

I don't have any summations to make today, unfortunately. There's not much you can take from a loss like this except that we are, clearly, NOT a very good team. And really, maybe it WAS too much to ask...that they could improve so markedly after such a dismal last season. I mean, they were 4-12 last year. That's bad. REALLY bad! So how can we go out and expect to dominate a team like the Rams? Guess what, folks? WE'RE the Rams. Bad. Possibly improving. But currently...BAD.

So, I'm grumpy. I'm irritated. I don't understand Mike Shanahan's cryptic press conferences where he gives conflicting information about players like Portis (first, he's injured, then, he's out due to "scheme" -- I mean, which is it??) And so, I'm doing my best not to jump to any conclusions at this point. I'm just going to retreat back to my usual doubting-Thomas nature until this team can go out and prove me wrong.

So there.

As a die-hard football fan, I get totally fired up for game days. Always have. To me, there is nothing quite like a Sunday in the fall -- gearing up for a full day of NFL football makes me downright giddy. But this year, it's been particularly sweet. I'm enjoying my "Redskin fandom" more than usual now that our team is beginning to perk up like Rumpelstiltskin after a long, 15-year sleep.

As a Redskin fan living in Anne Arundel County, MD, where Redskins and Ravens fans have co-existed rather peaceably for the most part, it's been a very tough slog of late. Ravens fans seem to have dominated the outdoor "airspace" around here and have made it pretty disheartening for Skins fans on game day Sundays. It's been so painful for me...driving to church on Sunday mornings seeing all those purple Ravens car flags flapping in the wind. Ravens jerseys in the grocery store. A whole Ravens TAILGATE DISPLAY in the local Giant (where, it should be noted, I'm NEVER shopping again!) For an area that is considered 1/2 Ravens and 1/2 Redskins, it hasn't always felt that user-friendly for the average Redskin fan. And so many of our bretheren have retreated -- back to their couches and backyards to cheer for the Skins privately, where we don't have to endure Ravens' fans pity and euphoria at our expense. (I, of course, NEVER retreated, as many of you know. I always have, and always will, wear my Skins attire on game days, I don't care HOW badly we've been playing. I have never shied away from taking my lumps as a die-hard fan, but it hasn't always been easy.)

Except the winds of change are blowing, folks. Out here in AA County, at least, our Skins fan base is waking up again. Yesterday, the anticipation in the air was palpable. I saw burgandy-and-gold car flags, Chris Cooley and Sean Taylor jerseys, and even Redskins CARS out yesterday, just crusing the area sharing their goodwill as fans with one another. It was a great morning of pre-game excitement for me -- beeping my horn in solidarity with other Skins fans in their cars, chatting with the supermarket checker wearing her Redskins necklace (at the SAFEWAY, where a Redskins fan can shop and feel united with other like-minded fans!), and even buying my son a Redskins ballon on our way out of the store. No more purple paraphenalia dominating the landscape -- it's a regular burgandy-and-gold resurgence out here and I'm loving every minute of it!

Isn't that one of your favorite parts of being a Skins fan? Doesn't it make your heart skip a beat when you see a total stranger wearing a Redskin jersey and you nod, smile, and maybe even exchange a joyful "Go, Skins!" on a Sunday morning at the Starbucks? Or slap a high-five with the attendant while pumping gas on your way to work? Maybe just a jubilant wave to another fan as you are driving to pick up the kids at school? It really is the epitome of fan-dom, in my opinion...it's what brings us together as fans in this otherwise busy and transient area of the country. Whole disparate factions of our local community united around a common goal -- our Redskins! And this year, with a team we can finally count on to take as much pride in wearing our colors as we fans do, doesn't it feel that much sweeter on Sunday mornings?

God, I'm exhausted. My voice is shot, my muscles ache from being so tense for so long, and I'm in serious need of something to help me calm down. It's been nearly 12 hours and my heart is still racing. Wow, that game against the Texans was intense!

OK, we lost. I know, I know...we not only lost, we blew a 27-10 lead and let the Texans storm back to score 20 unanswered points in the 4th quarter (and overtime) to beat us after our offense really put on a show -- something many of us haven't seen around here in a LONG time. And yes, our front 3 didn't get much pressure on Matt Schaub, our safeties gave up too many critical pass plays (including that killer 4th-down touchdown play to Andre Johnson that was akin to a dagger right through my heart!), and we had a totally make-able field goal blocked that probably would have ended the game for us. I hear you. And I know. It hurts.

But let's talk brass tacks here for a moment: did anyone really see this team turning around like they have so quickly? Did we really, as fans, believe Mike Shanahan, Bruce Allen et al would have been able to take that disatrous mess from last year -- the guys that went 4-12 under "groovy" Jim Zorn -- and mold them into this group of players who are motivated to win, care about the game, and take obvious pride in wearing the burgandy-and-gold? I have incredible faith in the Shanahan regime, and from reading my earlier posts, you know I'm a Shanahan believer, but not even in my wildest imaginings did I forsee such progress this early. It's been an amazing and happy surprise.

So, while we're all a bit let down today, and feeling the pain of all the what-ifs: what if we hadn't had that field goal blocked? What if we hadn't jumped off-sides and been able to score that touchdown in the fourth quarter? What if Gary Kubiak hadn't taken advantage of an archaic NFL rule and decided NOT to ice our kicker? Remember to try to remain optimistic. This loss is NOT like losses in recent years' past. This one doesn't spell doom. It doesn't reek of horrors yet to come. The Redskins are off to a GREAT start...the best one, in my opinion, in a good 10 years or so (remember, Marty started off 0-5!), and there is still a whole season of football left to play. Our team is going to improve. But we finally have a team of professionals, from top to bottom, that we can be proud of, and to me, that takes a least a little of the sting out of last night's loss.

Yup, that really happened last night. I know it seems like a dream, especially if, like me, you stayed up well past midnight to watch the Comcast post-game show and revel in all the debauchary that winning a game brings to this town. But your eyes did not deceive you...and Shanahan's new regime DID NOT disappoint. The Redkins really did beat the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in front of a rowdy, loud and very pro-Redskins crowd!

It's been so long. Oh, it's been so long. It's been such a tough slog to get to this point, hasn't it? I know many fans of other teams are thinking, "Big deal...it's one win". But to be a Redskin fan in this town for as long as many of us have, this one was so, so sweet.

Granted, it wasn't pretty. And we can thank a few of Dallas' all-time stupidest play calls for helping us get that "W". I mean, really, Romo, why throw that lateral pass when you KNOW your teammate isn't going to score? And to the guy who caught the lateral (Choice, I think)...dude, just GET DOWN and fall on the ball. That's all you have to do. Even I know that, and I've never played a down of football in my life.

But it doesn't matter. None of Dallas' mistakes matter now, because our team finally, FINALLY, took advantage of another teams' misfortune and got a win. For the past 15 years or so, we have not been able to capitalize on other teams' mistakes. Mostly, we've been the ones MAKING them. Remember those back-to-back time outs? The punter trying to throw a touchdown pass? Forget it...let's not rehash it all. What's past is past. I've said it since the beginning of training camp, and I'll say it again now: Shanahan is a true professional, he coaches like a winner, and his team (both players and assistant coaches) is stepping up and responding.

We finally have a team we can believe in. Not necessarily to win every game -- I'm not that crazy. But we have a team that is well-coached. Prepared. Playing as a unit. Fired up and intense. Did you see that aggressive defensive scheme we were running? Did you see our players shuffling in and out without any delay of game penalties, false starts or other ridiculous gaffes or mishaps?

Shanahan is large and in charge, folks. He was prowling that sideline last night and I'm thinking, "I BELIEVE!" He's just one of those guys who looks like he knows what he's doing. And his demeanor is an antidote to too many years of complacency, unprofessionalism, and egoism. I trust him. His coaches and players trust him. He's a pro.

I know last night was the first game of a very long season, and anything can happen going forward. But for the first time in a long time, I feel like I can perhaps take a breath and exhale, knowing our team might finally be headed in the right direction!

Well, it's official. We are finally, FINALLY, talking about a football game that actually matters! After months of guess-work, a ton of speculation and a whole lot of hoping and praying, it all comes down to this: The Cowboys...on Sunday night... during kick-off weekend...at Fed-Ex Field (with our brand new video boards!)

It's what we've all been waiting for. This Sunday night, all will be revealed. Well, a LOT will be revealed. I tend to think our newly-revamped, much-improved (we hope) Redskins team is going to get better each week as this season progresses, but I also know we are going to see at least a little of the team's new identity, personality, and character when they take the field on Sunday. Shanahan's zone blocking and running schemes. Kyle Shanahan's down-field passing game. That new, much-discussed 3-4 defense we've been hearing so much about.

I know a lot of people are nervous about this game, and believe me, I'm feeling a bit queasy myself. Playing against the Cowboys is never easy, and this year's team looks pretty good. But honestly, don't you think it's better to go out there during our first game against a really good team (much as I hate to give the Cowboys ANY credit!) and really just lay it all on the line? I personally would much rather come out swinging against a tough opponent right out of the gate. Show the world what our new team is made of. Take our lumps, if necessary. Make our mark.

It's been a long, LONG off-season, and I for one am ready for some real smash-mouth, in-your-face football. I'm ready to see what all this off-season conditioning and positioning has done. No more press conferences. No more "what-if's". No more speculation. Let's stop talking and just get it DONE.

Dallas Cowboys, here we come!

I know this isn't really Redskins-related, but indulge me for just a moment: I've been watching the Hard Knocks training camp show with the Jets, and boy, is that one fascinating but REALLY uncomfortable show to watch.

I love the behind-the-scenes look at the players, what they go through in camp, how the practices are run, etc. The sounds, the close-ups -- that part is great, although if I'm the Jets, I'm worried about two things in particular: a) Jason Taylor is a spoiled brat who can't seem to tell time, and b) Mark Sanchez is either stupid or just really, really young and immature. If I'm a Jets fan, I'm hoping for the latter.

But seriously, where do some of these mangagement jokers come from? The Jets VP (Tannenbaum, I think is his name) seems like one of those people you see and you think, this guy has no soul. He just seems vapid. The guy is running a major sports franchise and he acts like a jerk most of the time. You know who he reminds me of? That guy in high school who no one liked but now is in a position of authority and is going to cram his power down your throat. Napoleonic, for sure. And Rex Ryan is a caricature of himself. Every time I watch that show, I keep staring at that "RR" pillow and thinking, who keeps a personally monogrammed PILLOW on a chair in their office? Wow.

Again, if I'm a Jets fan, I'm worried. The folks running the show at Jets palace seem to be in self-congratulatory mode and they haven't won a thing yet. They are all standing around patting themselves on the back for their great draft picks, etc., and they don't seem all that concerned about the fact that the team didn't play particularly well in pre-season.

I wonder what's going to happen this season. Will the Jets rally and be the team Rex Ryan and his management schmos think they will be? Or will they fall flat, and become the laughing stock of the NFL? Will the Jets faithful be left holding the bag, wishing HBO had picked some other team to profile during training camp this year?

And if Rex Ryan ever gets fired, will he take his pillow with him?

OK, so as much as I LOVE training camp (and I really, really do), I don't really like the "cut" days. It's the guilty mom in me, I guess. I just hate seeing all these good players work so hard all off-season, get a jersey with their name and number on the back, broil and sweat in the hot sun during training camp, and suffer through 4 miserable pre-season games, only to be sent packing at the end of it all. It's a brutal business, I know, and I guess these guys are used to it, but it still seems to me to be just a tad rough. Again, must be the female / mommy in me. No room for THAT on the football field...

In any event, it looks like we have a team, finally. After months of preparations, practices, and blood, sweat and tears, the Skins are finally, well...the SKINS!

Looking at the roster, I'm not moved in one direction or the other, really. All the good players we expected to make the team made it, and this year, even the "surprises" (i.e., Banks and Armstrong) got a bid, so we can't really complain too much. There's no Marcus Mason to kick around this year! And our practice squad is filled with all those players who got cut but looked right on the edge of making the team, too, so I'm feeling a little less guilty on their behalf. Especially after I saw that ditty about practice squad salaries -- I mean, hey, sign ME up for the practice squad! Not a bad way to make a living. Beats working (at a "real" job, I mean!)

So now, we wait. It's Dallas Week, which I'll write more about later, and it's the first real week of football, so all is finally right with the world again. I am salivating at the thought of this coming Sunday -- not just to watch the Redskins, which I'm thrilled about, of course -- but to see all our favorite football traditions re-appear. Jimmy, Howie and Terry on the set on Sunday morning. Highlights all day on every channel. And that AWESOME Monday Night Football intro (not Hank Williams Jr, just the old-school intro: dun, dun, dun, DUN!) It's so good, it almost makes me forget my guilt over all those players we cut!