SB Nation DC: All Posts by Ken Meringolo

Looks Like Someone Has a Sixpack of the Mondays

2013-05-20T17:08:49Z

1. I know many of you watch Game of Thrones on HBO, and I know many of you record it and watch it at your earliest convenience during the week. Don't worry--I don't intend to give away any spoilers. In fact, that is kind of the problem with this season--no really huge spoilers (yet). All I heard leading up to the first episode was how much everyone was looking forward to the third season. The showrunners swore up and down that the only reason they signed on in the first place was for this part of the story. As it turns out, this "part of the story"--George R. R. Martin's third book--has been broken down into two seasons. My understanding is that things get especially nuts in the ninth episode (two weeks away), but we have to wait for season four to really see things blow up. Don't get me wrong--the show has been appointment television even through this long setup season, but as someone who did not read the books, I interpreted the rhetoric in the days leading up to the season premiere to mean I was in for ten episodes of insanity. This is a classic exploitation of Redskins fans. If anyone can be easily convinced on an annual basis that THIS NEXT season is going to be THE ONE, it is us. Don't worry, fellow burgundy and gold followers! I hear next season is going to be THE BEST ONE YET!

2. Speaking of television shows that unveil little surprises each time it airs, the NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2013 is about to hit its halfway point and we already have three Redskins mentioned. Trent Williams (#99), London Fletcher (#86) and Alfred Morris (#64) have all made the list so far. Of course Robert Griffin III is going to be somewhere in the remaining frames, but who else has a chance from Washington to crack the list? I am struggling to think of anyone--my bet (a very safe bet) is that we have one more and that's it. Unless...something about the way Reed Doughty operates compels me to leave open the possibility that he has found a way to sneak onto this list.

3. If Pierre Garcon had played a full season at the level he performed at when he was able to suit up, I think he would be our best chance for a fifth player on the list. He makes entire defenses pay attention to him in the week before each game, which would contribute to him being remembered by players as they voted for this list. In years past, you might be able to envision DeAngelo Hall being given props by his peers, but those days are pretty much gone. He likely still garners respect from players around the NFL, but not "Top 100" respect.

4. Setting aside for a moment that London Fletcher's inclusion is as much about his career as it is about his play in the last few seasons, I wanted to look at our other two players and their positions on this list. I wonder about the wisdom of ranking Alfred Morris so much higher than Trent Williams. Both of these men turned in amazing performances in 2012, and both were huge reasons for our success. Finishing second to Adrian Peterson in the rushing race raised Morris' profile considerably. Running backs who top 1,600 yards on the ground are going to naturally get love from other players in the league when it comes time to vote for stuff like this. Still...if everything we are hearing about Trent Williams is true, and he is methodically closing in on being considered an "elite" left tackle, wouldn't he kind of inherently outrank the rookie runner that ran behind him (through the holes he created)? Aren't elite left tackles worth more than just about any running back you can name?

5. Let me stop short of officially complaining here. Assuming Griffin is there somewhere, we have better representation on this list than if you were to give every team an equal allotment. I'll take that. Think about how many years where it would have been hard to build a credible case (one you could make with a straight face) for more than one--maybe two--Redskins to crack the Top 100 Players. After a season where we barely scraped together the 30th ranked passing defense (in a passing league), you simply can't expect to see more than London on this list from our defense. But our offense was good. Thrizzle was legit, with Morris and Williams highlighting a unit that did some actual damage to respected teams in the league. I think the most satisfying part about seeing us get more than just a token guy on this list is that for the first time in what feels like decades, we are not the only ones watching the Redskins play.

6. This list holds a little more meaning because it tallies votes made by the players. It is yet another barometer for where the perception of the Washington franchise stands these days. There was a time not that long ago when players likely associated the Redskins with a place you go to collect huge bonus checks. If #99 is where a player like Trent Williams enters the collective consciousness of players, so be it. If he stays on track, there is no way he doesn't climb higher on the list next year. Morris has a chance to climb, but now that he is on the radar of his fellow players, consistent play should keep him somewhere between 55-75 on future lists. Will Garcon make his presence felt for 16 games in 2013? Will Brian Orakpo stay healthy long enough to assume a spot on this list? Does a player like Ryan Kerrigan evolve into a force that demands the respect of his peers next spring? They don't hand out Lombardi Trophies based on how your team does on any kind of list. Those of us who have long watched the burgundy and gold get shut out of these kinds of lists know how important it is to take this step though--the step being one in which more people respect your team and its players than just the most diehard of fans.

Hogs Haven Top Ten List Open Season

2013-05-17T19:51:23Z

Between now and the start of training camp, there is a broken record that plays before the majority of posts that repeats again and again how slow it is and how little there is talk about. The truth is we can always find something to talk about, even if we are talking about how little there is to talk about. You all are also familiar with my proclivity toward posts that offer numbered points, thoughts and/or ramblings.

In light of all of this, I would like to kick off what I hope will be a very regular offseason addition to our site, and the source of many a debate. You might be thinking, "Here goes Hogs Haven...ripping off all the other sports sites that do Top Ten lists." Well, that's where you're wrong. I refer you to a little something called "The Ten Commandments." That's right...even God loves a good list, and so if anyone is being ripped off here, it's Moses and the Big Man. And Steve Shoup...who is Moses-like around here this time of year as we gird our loins for the NFL Draft and all of its fallout.

We have built a pretty good foundation of Top Ten list ideas but I thought a good Friday exercise would be to solicit as many ideas as we could from the readership. I will work with the team to pump out as many as we can, and you can all hammer away in the comments sections about how wrong they are or how right I am. Your choice.

The ideas can be Redskins-related or not. Most of our current ideas are Redskins-related, but I am not committing to making every single one about the Redskins, or even about football.

I hope everyone is having a safe and happy offseason so far. I hope Hogs Haven continues to be a source for both good information as well as at least some entertainment. Finally, I hope that SB Nation discovers a cure for the #1 killer of fun around here: trolls. AHHHHH!!! You all thought I wasn't paying attention! Well, we do what we can when we can. The truth is that trolls are kind of like PED's and PED manufacturers--always one step ahead of the authorities. Even when you IP ban someone, it doesn't keep them from coming back forever. Please continue to be ever-vigilant. Please continue to let us know via email when you spot one of these creatures. As always, the best way to deal with them is to ignore them. Hard to do sometimes, I know.

Have a great weekend.

Looks Like Someone Has a Sixpack of the Mondays

2013-05-13T21:27:44Z

1. Even though we are in the middle of a real dead period on the NFL calendar, there is still plenty going on that merits discussion and debate. We will get to all of that debate, but I thought it more important to clean up some Hogs Haven business today. Plus--and I can't stress this enough--Game 7 tonight between the Caps and Rangers has me in KNOTS. GO CAPS!

2. As most of you know, we put out a call to the readership about a month ago to add some fresh writing blood to the site. Our initial intention was to add maybe two or three voices to Hogs Haven. The response blew us away. I had no idea we had so many journalism majors in our midst (good thinking...a real growth industry). We quickly realized we could do more than just add a person or two to pick up some feature writing. By adding more than just this paltry amount, we felt like we could start exhaustively pursuing topic ideas, and get a huge amount of content out there for people to pick and choose from on any given day or week.

3. I know some of you have chastened a bit at the increase in content, but please know that there is a real method to our madness. Kevin and I felt that pulling in anywhere from 10-15 writers would allow us to properly cover series of topics. For example, we could propose that each person pick a few players from one side of the ball or the other, and talk about ways in which those players need to improve to either make the team or contribute to the team more meaningfully in 2013. The result of this exercise--that we are in the middle of now--is a plethora of reading material all dedicated to a single debate.

4. Given the way we changed tracks throughout this process, we had a first group we went back out to, and then a second group. Initially, we invited Bernhard Samuel, Jeff Rhodes, Ricky Allen, James Dorsett, Mike Harar and Jeff Newman to help us out. We followed that up with invites to Mark Voltaire, Paul Conner, John Wood, Jason Ma, Sean Patterson, Joe Lavoie and Alonzo Macon. I would like to thank these guys for being true to their word--they all indicated a willingness to contribute to the team and all of these guys have taken their new assignments in stride. They are adding a great deal of knowledge to our site. We like to think of Hogs Haven as the source of not just the arguments, but also of the answers and resolutions. I think you can find all of that in the new posts going up regularly on this site now.

5. Why am I telling you something that pretty much everyone has already figured out? How could you even ask me something like that? For those that need somebody to blame for the added volume of set pieces, now you have someone to blame. For those of you that need someone to hold up and shower with praise and complimentary words for doing something right, look no further than the guy with two thumbs pointing to himself as he writes these words (and Kevin).

6. In addition to adding these writers to fill out the overall experience, we also continue development of a new podcast coming soon. I should be able to provide better details in the next week or so. We intend to start it up here soon, and we will be working with some folks who are much better on the production side than Kevin and I. The days of the Hogs Haven Staff Meeting Podcast held via Skype are in the past. Please stay tuned for this and...

GO CAPS!

Looks Like Someone Has a Sixpack of the Mondays

2013-05-06T18:33:10Z

1. Now that the draft is behind us, along with much of the free agency dance, we can really start to narrow our focus on the 2013 Washington Redskins roster. My gut says that Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan will make a move for at least one player not currently in the fold that will end up being a major factor in the upcoming season. I hope that it is a player that can play on the offensive line. As much as I rail for the addition of a right tackle, it bears noting that our guys had an above average season in 2012. We can be better, but--and I can't stress this enough--we have been so, so, so much worse.

2. Every summer, there is at least one guy that has been on the team for a couple of seasons that drives a considerable amount of debate over whether or not he should stay or go. To clarify, I am talking about players that have performed on the field and contributed meaningfully over that time in some fashion--not a player like Albert Haynesworth that was a major problem off the field. A perfect example of the kind of player I am talking about is Anthony Armstrong. At a time when we simply had a lack of warm, able bodies at the receiver position, Armstrong earned his spot and showed up on Sundays. No matter what he did though, he was never going to win over the fanbase the way a true #1 kind of receiver could (or a #2 with crazy upside), and Armstrong's continued presence only served to remind many of our lack of a studly receiver corps. I would get attacked for suggesting we were "set" at receiver with Armstrong in the fold, when all I really ever said was that his presence allowed us to use our precious resources to address the billion other holes we had. Once the team turned its focus to signing players like Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan to add to promising young receivers like Leonard Hankerson and Aldrick Robinson, Armstrong was simply no longer needed. For those fans that had very much appreciated his contributions, this reality was a tough pill to swallow. For the rest of the fans who were always looking to raise the profile of our receiving corps, his departure signaled the dawn of a new day.

3. You might think Reed Doughty is another example of a player that has logged significant bridge-gapping minutes for our franchise, causing heated discussions to flare up each offseason. I think we are past that, people. What do I tell you every single offseason? "Death, Taxes, and Reed Doughty." The thing about Reed is that he was mostly always penciled in as a back-up, situational defender that contributed on special teams. Then a bizarre series of events would transpire and Reed Doughty would be our starting safety...again. He has proven his value to our team in a way that simply can't be replaced just by signing fresh talent. Once again, we will enter a season with a number of other players that should start over him on opening day. I sincerely hope that these other players are healthy and ready to assume that role. If history teaches us anything though, someone needs to make sure there is no nerve tonic around the locker room...same goes for hypnotists, mystery spots, unsolved mysteries and excessive radiation.

4. This year, I believe the player that is drawing the "his time has come" attention is Niles Paul. For what it's worth, I really like Niles Paul, and I believe there is a place for him on this roster. Having lost Lorenzo Alexander, Niles Paul has a chance to step into that special teams stalwart role. If you think about it, he has already completed part of the LoAx journey, having been asked to change positions without complaining about it. Like Alexander, Paul would be hard-pressed to unseat an offensive/defensive starter. My guess is Alexander may have been closer to a positional starter than Paul, but what matters most is that Niles has seemed to make the Shanahans happy with his progress. They have not shown a tremendous amount of bashfulness when it comes to switching players in and out. I like Paul for his size, athleticism, speed and strength. On special teams coverage units, he is an animal. When he gets a head of steam behind him on kick returns, he is going to change somebody's day upon impact. The question is not about his ability to contribute on special teams, but instead whether he contributes enough on offense. The tight end position is all of a sudden very crowded. Fred Davis and Jordan Reed are making the team. Say what you will about Logan Paulsen, but the Shanahans simply love him for everything he does. Seriously, how great is it to have a tight end on your team that you KNOW the other team is not even going to bother covering? Will the Redskins carry the extra tight end?

5. Again, we're talking about a player that fans tend to like. We're not talking about a player that we are all hoping to see get cut. When you draft a player like Niles Paul, you have high hopes of him developing into a player that sees the field a lot and endears himself to the hometown fans with spirited effort and hustle. You never know what kind of player is going to be the last guy to make the cut. Do you keep an extra offensive lineman? Wide receiver? Defensive back? Or is there room for a new special teams captain that plays sparingly on offense or defense? The Washington Redskins are coming off of a divisional title and playoff appearance. They are beyond (hopefully) the hardcore rebuilding phase that we seemed to spend an eternity in. Shanahan might not be drastically changing the manner in which he makes roster-trimming decisions, but you do think about the last few spots on your roster differently when you are coming off a solid campaign. There is likely no player as bubblicious right now as Niles Paul. The reason I would be most likely to hang onto him is that we have had a real problem the last few years with injuries at the tight end position. Paul can't replace Fred Davis, but if we can't re-sign Sleepy, Paul is a good player to give another year to in this system to learn and develop. Having him around could allow this team to use its resources in 2014 to address higher priorities (very Armstrong-esque).

6. I had planned to bring up Tim Tebow at some point...come on, you knew I would. Last season, I argued that our organization was not capable of handling the circus that goes with having a Tim Tebow on your roster. I think we have graduated a bit from that. I think we have a core group of players that made it through last season and could provide the proper leadership to navigate through the mess. Most of all, I think Tebow can help a team win. That said, as much as I want to argue for signing Tim Tebow, it is the Niles Paul discussion that has me convinced otherwise. Tim Tebow would have to join the tight end/H-back rotation on our offense, and I wouldn't cut Darrel Young, Niles Paul, Logan Paulsen, Fred Davis or Jordan Reed to make room for him. I wouldn't keep Tebow over Aldrick Robinson or Leonard Hankerson, and I wouldn't cut Roy Helu to make room for the spiritual guru. I have to follow my own rule here--you can't argue for someone to be added unless you offer a reasonable subtraction option.

Looks Like Someone Has a Sixpack of the Mondays

2013-04-29T16:57:46Z

1. When the Redskins drafted David Amerson on Friday night, I was sitting between Fred Smoot and Shawn Springs. In case you wonder if former players pay attention or care when the NFL Draft is going on--they do, and they do. As you may know, Smoot was banging the table for the Honey Badger. He likened Tyrann Mathieu to Antoine Winfield as far as frame and athleticism are concerned. Both Fred and Shawn agreed that the Redskins had gotten a physical player with the ability to go and get the ball. Considering that I believed Amerson would be gone by the time we chose in the second round, I was pretty happy to see the selection. My immediate reaction was, "There's one of our starting safeties in 2013."

2. So much for immediate reactions. By the time the Redskins had finished taking both Phillip Thomas and Bacarri Rambo, our defensive secondary had three new players I would swear could start for us next year. I heard a couple of comments over the weekend about how we used too many resources on the back of our defense, even comparing this draft to the one where Vinny triple-dipped on receivers in the second round (Malcolm Kelly, Devin Thomas and Fred Davis) in 2008. Slow down...this is not even close. If you liked Rambo more than Thomas--as many did coming into the weekend--you might have been upset when they took the Fresno State product ahead of the Georgia player. Fair enough, but that could only make you happier about getting Rambo in the sixth round with the 191st pick. I found this draft to be a rather responsible exercise in getting players that can likely contribute in the near-term in our secondary, while still adding players at other positions of need throughout. Linebacker, tight end--and yes, even running back--are spots that the Redskins needed to at least try and add value to in this draft. In order to get an athletic enough player to fill the 'Joker' tight end role in the upcoming season, you have to really get him during the first two days. Teams won't let a guy like Jordan Reed slip too far because NFL offenses are relying so heavily on guys like him. We'll see about Brandon Jenkins, the linebacker out of Florida State, but the fact that he didn't cause us to miss out on Bacarri Rambo is already a feather in his cap. I fear UK and Shoup may have had heart attacks if Rambo was drafted between picks 163 and 190 on Saturday.

3. I am not even going to try and project how running backs Chris Thompson and Jawan Jamison will fare on the 2013 Redskins. There's probably as good a chance that one leads the league in rushing as there is that both make the opening day roster. I know that Evan Royster and Roy Helu are both working a little harder today in preparation for training camp. I thought that last week's press conference from Shanahan offered a tiny glimpse into the possibility of Helu turning into the playmaker in the backfield that Kyle could partner with Alfred Morris and Robert Griffin III. His recovery is coming along nicely--finally--and if he is healthy this summer, I would give him the edge to start the season as the complement to Alf.

4. Friday night's taping of The Fred Smoot Show went great. In addition to Fred, Shawn and myself, we were joined by Josh Morgan and Jordan Bernstine to talk about the draft and a hist of other Redskins topics. I want to thank Harrison Weinhold and his production team for doing an awesome job getting everything arranged and for lining up an AMAZING go-go brass band, Brass Connection. I also want to thank Fred and Shawn for making the conversation easy, and for sharing their stories and experiences. (SPOILER ALERT--Springs brought up the Love Boat, NOT ME!)

5. I won't give away the whole show, but other teasers include: Josh Morgan talking about his on-field incident with Cortland Finnegan last year, Fred and Shawn giving each other business whenever possible, and the First Annual Fred Smoot Show Rapper Draft. When you see my roster, you will likely join me in shock that I did not win for best draft class.

6. I would like to give my award this season for best draft pundit to Mike Mayock. Throughout the weekend, I flipped back and forth between ESPN and NFL Network, listening to them predict selections and critique the decisions made by each team. Time and time again, I was pretty amazed at Mayock's ability to take all the crap he had to listen to over the last few months, and fairly accurately predict the direction the team on the clock would go in with the next pick. He got tripped up pretty good by Philly's selection of Matt Barkley, but overall, I found his analysis to be more interesting and engaging. Sorry Keely--I still love Mel Kiper!

Ten Yard Fight -- Washington Redskins 2013 Schedule (Delayed) Reaction

2013-04-25T12:00:09Z

1. As is the case for just about every one of the NFL's trumped up "events" on its 9,765 day calendar that seems to grow by the second, turning every update, notification and otherwise innocuous piece of news into appointment television, I was front and center watching the 2013 schedule release. I'm pretty sure that if they aired a primetime special on NFL Network anytime from March through May, announcing updated pricing on NFL-licensed beer coozies, I would not only watch intently, I would also feel very strongly about some aspect of it. You just know that the Redskins one would feature a picture of the Dos Equis Most Interesting Man Alive, with the caption: "I didn't always drink beer, but then Norv Turner took over the Redskins."

2. As I said earlier in the week, the thing about our schedule that is most refreshing and exciting is that we are going to max out our primetime appearance allowance. I love night games--they turn the tailgate into a truly glorious experience. Don't get me wrong, I love any tailgate, but when you are gearing up to take in a nationally-televised contest under the lights, the atmosphere in the parking lot is just a little bit more electric than usual. Similarly, when you are watching the slate of games on TV at home, anxiously awaiting a primetime airing of the Redskins on the road, it's like extending Christmas. Instead of opening all of your presents at once and then watching other people open and play with their toys into the evening, you are the one that gets to slow it down and turn it into an all-day affair.

3. We know it is going to be a fun season, packed with great tailgates and the increased spotlight that goes with being a division champ and having a transcendent athlete at quarterback. As fans, this part of the schedule release is as important as the dates and timing of when we play certain teams. After all, we already knew who we would be playing. What we didn't know was when our Monday and Sunday night tailgates would take place! In fact, I would argue that the question of, "How many primetime games are we getting?" is the biggest part of this for me. As such, the recent history of schedule releases has left me...wanting.

4. The next thing I look for is when we are playing our NFC East games. Last year, we closed out the season with five out of seven games being played against divisional opponents. I had to change my shorts twice after getting that news laid on me--both me and the eternal optimist inside me soiled my trousers. We didn't even log our first NFC East game until Week 7 in 2012. This year, we will waste no time diving into the divisional schedule, taking on the Eagles in Week 1 on Monday Night Football. We close out the season with four NFC East games in the final seven, so the division race is likely to not be decided until December (unless we go undefeated through Thanksgiving). The NFL has gotten smart on this in recent years, scheduling important division games in the last couple weeks of the season. As a fan, you want to watch meaningful football in December. The last thing you want in Week 17 is to face a tough opponent outside your division while your biggest rival takes on a cupcake team. The Redskins play the Cowboys and Giants to close out the season. I wouldn't want it any other way.

5. Once I know what days to request off of work due to late tailgates, and I know when the NFC East is going to be decided, I turn to the placement of the BYE week. Ideally, you want to see your BYE week fall between Week 8 and 10, giving your team a nice mid-season chance to gird its loins for the home stretch. A later BYE week for a good team is just fine, since it means a shorter home stretch following the week off. An earlier BYE week for just about anyone ain't so crack-a-lackin', because it offers no rest for the weary. In 2012, we had our BYE in Week 10. When we came back from the break, all we did is win every single game left on our schedule--perfect BYE week placement, obviously. In 2013, we get the lesser desired Week 5 BYE. On the face of it, this seems like a disaster.

6. There is good news, though, for all you fans of mid-season breaks. Our BYE week placement in 2013 is kind of 'sneaky-good.' We play four games out of the chute, and then take a week off. We come back in Week 6 and play another set of five games--including three games in twelve days, but the last of this five-game set is a Thursday Night game. We then get ten days rest before our next Sunday afternoon game (against the Eagles). In fact, after that Thursday Night Football game on November 7 against the Vikings, we play two games in an EIGHTEEN day span. One would think that a cagey coach like Shanahan would maximize the value of those breaks by ensuring that veteran players get as much rest as possible.

7. Again, with no surprises in terms of who we will face in the upcoming season, the next thing you pay attention to is at what point in the season do you play potentially big games. (I know, I know...they are ALL big games.) For starters, we get the Eagles right off the bat. I love this. I love the opportunity to try and grab a quick divisional win, and I love the opportunity to get Philly before they have had a ton of time to gel in the regular season. Mike Shanahan is famous for his preparations for season openers. He hasn't lost a season opener yet as the head coach of the Redskins. I am sure he has already watched hours and hours of Oregon Ducks film, and I am confident that he will have a pretty good idea of what his gameplan will be for that game by the beginning of August--we could lose, but this is a terrible spot for the Eagles and we simply need to take care of our business. After our Week 5 BYE, we return to face the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, so we will have a chance to rest and our coaching staff will have a chance to spend a little extra time on one of our most important games of the season. Both games against the Giants will be played in December. On one hand, you would hope that Robert Griffin III is in a groove by then and can kind of do his December thing against the team that is likely to give us the biggest challenge for the divisional crown. On the other hand, this places all kinds of pressure and importance on games that will already be naturally important--hopefully we will continue to display the kind of character and class we showed the world down the stretch last year. Another little gem in the late-season scheduling of games against the Cowboys and Giants is that one of those games could very likely get flexed into the night slot by NBC--adding yet ANOTHER primetime party to the books.

8. We only have one set of back-to-back road games, and we have a three-week home stand in late November/early December. This is a good thing for a young team, in my humble opinion--you never want to see a relatively young roster spend prolonged periods on the road, as this messes with internal body clocks, practice schedules and overall routines. There is obviously always going to be the need to roll with the punches throughout the course of a regular season, but minimizing time on the road and netting a nice little homestand late in the season is a feather in the cap for the Redskins.

9. As far as our non-conference opponents and our "1st place" opponents are concerned...what can I say? It's a dog-eat-dog kind of league, and we just better hope we're not wearing MilkBone underwear when we tee it off against the 49ers, Falcons and Broncos. Our schedule from an overall standpoint looks scary. We play a LOT of good teams. The thing is, I am not convinced that playing Seattle or St. Louis would be much easier than playing San Francisco--we lost to both of those teams last year. Atlanta is the class of the NFC South, but the rest of that division (Carolina, New Orleans and Tampa Bay) is likely to give the rest of our division a real fight, so the disadvantage of being the defending division champ is a bit muted this year. (I know, I know...I tend to make arguments like these frequently.)

10. The name of the game is beating the teams that you have to play. No matter how they construct the schedule, some people are going to say that it isn't as bad as it looks, and others are going to invest in armageddon bunkers. I recognize the difficulty we face in 2013. As proud as we are of the 2012 performance of the Redskins, the truth is that the last time this team strung two solid seasons together, Doogie Howser was straight and the Olsen twins were still cute. I am excited to attempt to build on last year's success with this schedule. To be the best, you have to beat the best, and this year, we most definitely face the best teams in the league.

Looks Like Someone Has a Sixpack of the Mondays

2013-04-22T20:01:01Z

1. I have my Redskins 2013 schedule post coming out later this week--if you can't be the first, might as well be the millionth! Clearly, all of you who know me understand how much I love the night games at FedEx. It makes the tailgating unbelievably long and glorious.

2. About a month ago, Rich Tandler told me not to worry about signing our draft picks. I had just finished rambling on about how freaked out I was about using money to sign players like Jeremy Trueblood instead of our top picks. In the calmest voice he could muster--I am assuming he wanted to slap me--he said that signing our draft picks was absolutely the least of our salary cap concerns. He laid out the "Top 51" argument and how their addition plus the subtraction of the contracts they would be replacing would result in minimal maneuvering. Well, Rich...I am pleased to announce that you are the ONE MILLIONTH person to rationally talk me down from one of my illogical and often alcohol-induced freakouts. Your set of oven mitts is in the mail. Of course, Rich was right...Mark Maske said the same thing today in the Washington Post. Tandler...you diabolical genius!

3. On Saturday night, I watched the NFL Replay of the Redskins game against Dallas that we WON to take the division title. I was on vacation with my wife and kids, with only one television at our disposal. I employed the old "I haven't seen this game in months and fortheloveofgodit'sRG3andAlfredwreckingshop" argument. As my words jumbled together into incoherence, St. Megan knew that getting the remote out of my hands was about as likely as Kevin having his next birthday party at the home opener of the Washingon Mystics. (Wait, I just got invited to WHAT?!?!?)

4. I can't recall many shows I have ever watched that were as gratifying as watching this one. As I yelled obscenities at the screen each time Tony Romo dropped back, St. Megan realized that her eye mask was not going to successfully block out the experience of me watching this game next to her in the hotel bed. At one point, she asked me if I actually knew the outcome. That is probably because when Dallas scored to make it 21-18, I punched the nightstand, yelling, "Oh my f'ing Lord, this is how we are going to lose this game!!" I informed her that when the Redskins play the Cowboys, you THROW OUT THE RECORDS...including the historical record! I would not get caught taking this one for granted...not this time...not this night.

5. I am pretty sure hotel security was alerted when the referees blew that delay of game call just prior to Romo hitting Jason Witten for a touchdown. (I only say that because they knocked on the door right around that time.) Thankfully, they didn't believe for a second that all that noise could be coming from the room of a man who answered the door in his underwear, whispering because he "has three kids and a wife trying to sleep." I suggested they check a few doors down--I had seen a guy wearing a Dallas jersey go in there earlier in the day.

6. Having successfully staved off a heart attack during this game--AGAIN--I took a few deep breaths and gently laid down the remote control that was now perfectly contoured to my hand thanks to a two-hour, stress-induced ninja grip. Watching that game gave me so much hope for the 2013 season. So many of those guys are still around, continuing the growth and development they displayed that night against the hated Cowboys. So much of the ideology on offense and defense can and will remain intact and will continue the evolution that began some time after the Rams debacle.

(I think we can take Seattle in the Wild Card round!)

"The Fred Smoot Show", Hosted By Fred Smoot and Ken Meringolo, Premieres on Friday, April 26

2013-04-16T15:44:35Z

I am extremely excited to announce the premiere episode of The Fred Smoot Show, featuring yours truly on stage with everyone's favorite Smootsmack-dropping cornerback. Our very own Harrison Weinhold has led the team to put together a hell of a guest list. As of this morning, we are expecting DeAngelo Hall, Jarvis Jenkins, Darrel Young, Josh Morgan and Colt Brennan. That's right...Colt Brennan. The way that guys are stepping up to get involved in the show, I wouldn't be surprised if we had some additional surprise guests.

The show will be taped live at Primetime Sports Bar and Grille, in Fairfax, VA on Friday, April 26 at 8:00 PM. The pre-show will be put on by darwin-sports.com at 6:30 PM and then main event will commence shortly thereafter. We'll be there early talking about the draft, and will open the format up for Q&A before it is all done so fans can get a chance to ask questions of the panel.

NOTE: On May 11, the Race for the Cure "Make Mom Proud" Event will be held and Josh Morgan needs your help! At the show, we'll be looking for a few people to join the team and help us reach Josh's modest goal of $15k for the first official "Team Morgan" event. Please take a minute and join and/or if you're not up to walking, please consider contributing a donation and add the special discount code MORGAN for $10 off registration. The Team Member who raises the most prior to 11:59 PM on Monday, May 6, may accompany Josh to the Canadian Embassy for the official Kickoff Reception. Thanks for your consideration for this worthy cause. Click here to learn more. e have a lot of fun segments planned and everyone involved is geared up to have a great time. If you are able to make, it we would love to see you out there for the show.

P.S. The picture used in the promotional flyers is from an appearance I made on The Grant Wuhl Show. They found a still shot of me looking like a chimp...or chump, not sure which, probably both. Either way, you all know I like to set the bar nice and low in pictures in the hopes I can impress in person!