Mmmm Mmmm Good

"That's what Jason Campbell is....mmmm mmmm good!" No? OK...how about this? (Sing to the tune of "I Feel Good" by James Brown)

"I feel good.....I knew that I would now.......I feel good.......I knew that I would now....So good....so good...cuz we beat you! I feel nice.......cuz we put Dallas on ice now...I feeeeel nice...cuz we put Dallas on ice now...So nice.. So nice..cuz we beat you!"

Yeah..that's more like it..don't you think?

Well, well, well...it's been a great day to be a Skins fan if I do say so myself. All is right in Redskins Nation! According to the "powers that be", the Skins just pulled off a football miracle! "This team can't compete with the Dallas Cowboys", "this team is going to come into Dallas and get blown out by a much better Dallas team", "this team is no match for the high powered offense of Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys".

Yeah..ok...how'd that work out for ya? Hmmm?

I was on edge all week long in anticipation of this game. It loomed on the horizon like an angry storm cloud. Caught in the unending cycle of "I know we can win this game...but will we?", "I know we can win this game...but (insert excuse here)". This ever present lack of confidence came about from years of "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory" at almost every venue we played in. It's not something that I hold in high esteem about me. I've been burned so often by the Skins that I rarely "trash talk" anymore. Gun-shy is what it's called. It's amazing what a string of losing season does to one's psyche.

Anyhoo....Sunday came. No skipping church this week as the game was set to go at 4:15pm. So I could relax after church for a few moments. I decided I was going to contribute chicken wings to the buffet eau'de Brinkley(my in-laws' abode). I stopped at the local grocers and as I was perusing the vast array of chicken wings(who knew there were so many different brands?), I came across something interesting. A bright red bag loaded with Tyson's Any Tizers. On sale..cha ching! Got em. 2 bags...1 buffalo style....1 honey BBQ style. Have you seen these little bits o' Heaven in your frozen foods section? Pre-seasoned, frozen wings ready to heat and eat. 18 - 20 minutes in a hot oven and viola'...chicken wings! There were about 20-25 wings per bag...plenty for a guest list of 5-7 people! Best invention since sliced bread! And yummy to boot! Less work...great taste! Check 'em out!

• 3:20pm - Load stuff(camera, tripod, chicken wings)into car. Drop daughter off at job(thank God for fast food joints..they employ 18-20 somethings..yay...less empty pockets for me).
• 3:35pm - As I'm getting ready to pull away from the daughter's job when I saw a young man heading for my car. He stopped at my window, with 3 Miller Lite beers in a bag and a backpack that was overloaded with God only knows what. He asked me for a ride "just around the corner from here". He seemed nice enough with red hair and freckles. He assured me he was no ax murderer and then he added the "coup de grace"..."I'm a Redskins fan too(with a way too cheezy grin). How could I say no? He jumped in the car, introduced himself as "John"(nicely done..indiscreet name), showed me his HVAC tech credentials(I don't know either..but he was proud of it just the same), we chit chatted the whole 2-3 miles that I drove him down the road. Dropped him at a convenience store, he offered to pay me for the gas, I turned him down because sometimes it feels good to be nice just because.
• 4:05pm - Park at the in-laws, grab my stuff and run upstairs to their apartment. Everything was set up and ready to go; the Skins rug was in place, the Skins chairs were in place(2 of those btw), the Skins chip holder helmets were on the table and filled to the rim with Doritos (nacho cheese and cool ranch for those keeping score) We are so pumped we can hardly contain ourselves! We wait with bated breath for the Fox crew to throw it to Troy and Joe!
• 4:15pm - Kickoff! We've welcomed another member of our Redskins family tree to the party! Andre'(nicknamed Beep... for reasons I do not know). We watch as we get the ball and proceed to punt after few good plays. "It's early" we say. What did we expect? So we settle in for what may or may not be the most wonderful game this season. The 'other team' comes in before we know it...TD for them! Uggghhhhh! We can't believe it! But we remind ourselves that it's early yet and we don't need to panic. Beep brings his 9y/o son, Andre' Jr(better known as lil Beep)who has taken up the role of antagonist. Little did he know that Uncle Drew had a big surprise in store for him. So as lil Beep ran around saying, "deadskins suck" and "yall are going to lose this game 0 - Dallas' infinity", he was oblivious to the fact that the abundance of food was intended for Redskins fans ONLY! He soon found out that Redskins vs Dallas at Uncle's house isn't for the weak or the hungry! No food for lil Beep until he cooled his heels with the trash talking. I felt sorry for him at times but I did wave a few Doritos under his nose before crunching down on them in his tender, youthful ears! He held his ground for about 1 hour. Then it happened. After being mad, hungry and doggedly determined, he fell because of his lust for Doritos! Those dastardly, triangle shaped bits o' heaven. They've been the downfall of a many young kid. Mission accomplished! Lil Beep was a Skins fan! Well at least until next Sunday!
• Halftime - We're happy! Things have gone well for the most part. We all think there's too much time left and that it should be the 4th quarter by now! We're not comfortable at all. But we do eat. Wings, pork BBQ sandwiches w/cole slaw, mac and cheese, beer for the drinkers, sodas for the light weights(that's me!)
• 3rd Quarter - Not feeling the "squib" kick off to start the 2nd half. Blame that for the ensuing TD by "that team"! Midway through this quarter, our resident Cowboy fan makes an appearance, complete with a girlfriend in tow wearing a Cowboys jacket. They sit, they can't believe the score.
• 4th Quarter - Time is running out for the fan of the evil ones! We are laughing..he is not! He's pouting! Honest to goodness pouting! He attempts to argue that with no timeouts and a minute something left on the tick tock, his team "can still win this thing". We ignore him and start the countdown, like we're about to do the NASA shuttle launch! 12, 11, 10, 9, 8......YAY! It is finished! We're ecstatic...he is NOT! Drew asks him..."what does that make you Cowboy fan?" "I'll tell you what it makes you...tied with the Redskins!". It's too much for his fragile Cowboy fandom! He retreats with Ms. Cowboy fan looking totally disinterested in everything including this game! We celebrate! What a day! What a game!

The team looked really good. Minor things that can be fixed hopefully will be. Campbell continues to improve. We looked comfortable in that place! We came, We played, We conquered! We still endure little to no respect. Cowboy fans, licking their wounds, lash out, trying to steal our joy! (FAT CHANCE!) Telling us that "we only won by 2!" Ummmm..you do know that means that you LOST by 2 right?

We know the gravity of what occurred there in "Big D". Something so outrageous that the talking heads can't wrap their lips around the words. Here let me help you...Redskins go into Texas stadium and get a win..outplaying "America's Team" in every way on this day! The numbers don't lie. Take a gander if you must! It's good stuff! The score is not indicative of the dominance that was Redskins football on this day!

It does feel good! Aaaaahhhhhhh..."I'll take a steak-medium well, a baked potato with sour cream, a side salad, and a helping of Dallas Cowboy whip arse to top it off!

Well done Skins...well done! On to Philly, home of the less than human fans! Enjoy the new "Dallas chant"!

Send in the Clowns

Ladies and Gentlemen and children of all ages; Welcome to the NFL's answer to Ringling Bros. The team that we all love to hate: The Dallas Cowboys .

Prelude to Week 4

DALLAS WEEK!

No other 2 words in the English language can get the blood flowing in a Redskins fan more....well except for "Touchdown Washington!". It's a conglomerate of excitement, anticipation, nervousness, hope, fear and smack talk. This rivalry goes back as far as I can remember. I long for the days when coach George Allen would rally the team and tell them to "go kick some Cowboy arse!"

Very few of today's younger players even "get it" when it comes to Dallas week. If they've been a Redskin for any amount of time, they kinda-sorta get it, but not like the "ol' skool" guys. I mean Dexter Manley still insists on bringing it with him every where he goes. When he appeared at this year's Beach Blitz in VA Beach, the only question he posed for the newly appointed head coach was, "Are we going to beat Dallas 2 times this year?". The rookie coach committed a small breach in etiquette by saying, "I don't know about that Dex." To which Dexter replied, "we better!" Needless to say the crowd erupted!

The 2 franchises have had their scrapes along the way. One team peaking while the other is bottom feeding. Dallas currently holds the upper hand in wins with 52, while the Skins have 33. But the tides have slowly but surely started to change.

I believe one of the most memorable meetings of these 2 teams took place just a few short years ago on a Monday Night in Texas Stadium. That game has been dubbed by Skins fans as the "Monday Night Miracle in Dallas". On that particular night, Sep 19, 2005, we stepped into God's toilet(yes...that's what that hole is for in case you're wondering) hoping against all hope that we could survive that game and get out uninjured. The Skins had not done anything the whole game. No scores on the board well into the 4th quarter. It was 13 - 0 Dallas with about 4 minutes to go. Most of America had turned in for the night as the hour was getting late. Redskins fans disgusted by yet another loss to our arch nemesis, Cowboy fans thinking they had put us on ice. Then, lightening in a bottle struck. Mark Brunell, an aging, veteran QB, threw a touchdown pass to Santana Moss. 13 - 7. As I jumped for joy and hooped and hollered in my living room, I started to formulate in my mind that the Redskins could actually win this game. Dare I think it? "We just need to get the ball back!" "If we can get the ball back, we can do that again!" I was frantically wishing, hoping, praying. Then it happened again! Mark Brunell to Santana Moss for 6. Extra point good....14 - 13! Good night Cowboy nation! I screamed and ran up and down my hallway! It was after 11pm and here I was running and screaming to the top of my lungs. I will never forget that game. The looks on the faces of Cowboy fans the next day was priceless! This series has held that kind of tenacity for quite some time.

It seems however, that it's starting to lose some of it's luster. Coaches that are new to the league or to either team don't see it in the same light. You have alot of other distractions now that get thrown amongst the battlefield. Players that have done jail time, suspended from the league for some crime or another, dating big celebrities and taking vacations before playoff games, telling you to "get yer popcorn ready" or loving them some them. Even the younger Skins players don't seem to get it. Just this past week, a rookie Redskins player was seen speaking to the media in enemy paraphernalia(a T.O. t-shirt). Give me a break! Them's fightin words! Can't the younger generation get anything right? A question best answered on another day!

The Skins are facing a formidable Cowboy team on Sunday. Loaded with talent. They've generated quite a bit of offense in their first 3 outings. Defense....not so much! Opponents have been able to score..not at will mind you...but able to score nonetheless.

Can my Skins win on Sunday? Sure...anythings possible! Will they? I can't answer that question, the crystal ball is in the shop for repairs. If the Skins can put together a good, solid, error-free game, they have a chance to get one from the home team. Realistically, I don't see the Skins winning this game. From a fan's standpoint, I HOPE they will.

KEEP HOPE ALIVE!!

So Hail to the Redskins! Let's kick some Dallas booty! Prediction: Realistically: Dallas - 28 Redskins - 17. The Homer in me: Redskins - 21 Dallas - 17.(Let's hope for the latter..shall we?)

Bye Bye Birdies

Forgive me Father, for I have played hooky! Yes, that's right. I skipped church in favor of football. I couldn't help it! I had way too much to get done before the game; laundry, cook dinner for my husband(I mean, the man has to eat right? I can't leave him without food for the day, can I?) No....no....of course not! So I wasn't able to squeeze Amazing Grace in between washing and cooking. Heaven help me. I hope Jesus is a football fan.

Funny....the Cardinal is VA's state bird but AZ can't seem to win in these parts. <snicker>.

Skins - 24 Cards - 17

As we close out week 3 and look ahead to week 4, we notice that time-proven, veteran QB's don't always belong as high up on the pedestal as the media types tend to put them.

We all heard the typical, over-hyped press about AZ. "It's the Cardinals' year this year", They've replaced Leinart with Kurt Warner and he should be able to get this team going." "Kurt Warner had a perfect QB rating last week. That makes 2 of those for him. WOW. Can you say comeback kid?" Cardinal fans are still waiting.

Skins fans, on the other hand, are stepping a little higher, feeling a little better and timidly getting a little swagger in their walks. It's an all around brighter day in Redskinsville. We've beaten 2 teams that most of the "pros" thought we wouldn't compete with. Although to be fair a few of them made the "gutsy" call and picked the Skins to win this one. According to our favorite, color commentator, Darryl "Moose" Johnston, "AZ beat themselves". Someone please tell him that the Redskins were on the field at some time during this game and scored 24 points while the Cardinals beat themselves. Let's cut to the chase here. The pluses on Sunday:

• SPREADING THE WEALTH - Seven(7) different targets for Jason Campbell. Way to get others involved. Loved it! Moss, Cooley, Randel El, Thomas, Betts, Sellers, Yoder, and Portis all got a piece of the action.

• IMPROVEMENTS BY JASON CAMPBELL - He was able to get the ball away a little quicker imo. Finding his targets and getting the ball there looked nice. I was elated to see him run for some quick and needed yardage at critical times. I couldn't understand why he wasn't doing that in the previous games. Glad he turned that around. He looked more comfortable and executed at a higher level. His numbers: 22/30 193yds 2 TD 0 INT's. The offense racked up 323 total yards and kept the ball for a little over 33 minutes.

• DEFENSE - Heads up play again this week for the most part. 2 turnovers(1 INT & 1 fumble recovery) that resulted in 10 points. Carlos Rogers reeled both of these in. McIntosh forced the fumble. London Fletcher added 7(3 solo, 4 assists) more tackles to his resume' for a season total of 31 thus far. Go Fletcher! We pretty much kept Aquan Boldin in check(3 catches for 25 yds, 1 TD). We pressured or hurried Kurt Warner a plenty. Had 2 sacks as icing on the cake.
• Special Teams - Better than last week, but not as good as they could have been. Suisham missed a 52 yarder. Had the distance..accuracy ...not so much. Although it seems by the actions of the head coach afterwards, the place holder had a hand in that. Speaking of Brooks, he punted better than last week with kicks of 35, 45, 56 and 35 yards respectively.

The Minuses

• We failed to contain Edgerrin James. He was able to accumulate 93 yards on 18 rushes. We must get a handle on this lack of run stoppage from the defense before we roll into Dallas this coming weekend. I don't quite understand, however, why the Cardinals didn't continue pounding James down our throats instead of allowing Warner to sling all over the place.
• There are few little things that we need to get cleaned up. We drove down the field, picking up pieces of real estate little by little and when we make it to the red zone, we take a time out! Imo, a team should continue smacking the opposition while you have them reeling from the previous blows. When you have an opponent pinned on the mat, don't allow them to get up to gather themselves. My head tells me this is a rookie head coach issue, my heart says to me.."WTH?". While it isn't the most significant piece of the puzzle, but you can't complete the portrait with a piece missing. Let's get it cleaned up.
• The running game didn't quite get off the ground like we're used to seeing. Although we did use the 1-2 punch effectively for a while. Campbell, Sellers, and Thomas also took a few strolls around the park. I, personally, was elated to see Campbell use his feet to pick up much needed yardage. My biggest concern here was with Clinton Portis. 21 rushes for only 68 yards or about 3.2 yards per carry. Dismal IMO..at least for him. However it is refreshing to NOT see him gasping for air at the end of the day and perhaps it may save his legs for further use i.e. the post season. Things that make you go HMMMMM!.

Overall, I give us a good grade on this game. I'm happy with the steps we've made up to this point. Not a SuperBowl team but we're not the Browns either!

Watch out Texas the Skins are coming to town. Be afraid...be very afraid!

Hail!

A Redskins Lunch....*Homerism style...

Defense wins championships.....and offense wins games!

And win is what my Skins did on Sunday! The Saints came marching in (I know...but I couldn't resist) and the Skins went marching up and down the field.

I missed kick off due to religious commitments. I was held up at church. I expected this and had prepared myself for such a time as this. I attached my old Nokia (complete with a FM radio player)on my hip as I went out the door. I fulfilled my duties as usher and proceeded to the last pew. Inserted the "wired" earpiece and turned on the ESPN980 pregame show (which is fed through 102.1 The Game here locally). The blah, blah, blah from Sheehan & Co. intermingled with the fiery word of God made for interesting entertainment. Sermon over, trustee duties assumed. I looked at the clock over the exit and was pleasantly surprised that it was 12:45pm. He had ended early! Thank the Lord, my Pastor is a football fan after all! I looked at my fellow trustee and said, "let's get to the back and get this done and get out of here!" "Ok", she agreed. Fast forward to 1:10pm . Trustee duties finished, I headed for the parking lot. Jumped in the car, raced over to Hardees to get lunch for my husband who doesn't participate in our Sunday rituals. I get behind this humongous, white truck that is unashamedly sporting, not 1 but 2, cowboy flags. I groan internally and say to myself, "I can't believe it..Only I get stuck behind a cowboy fan on my way to watch the Skins play". It was as if someone was sticking toothpicks in my eyes having to watch those horrible things sway in the breeze. Ordered food, paid, raced home, threw food on the table, raced to my room, threw on the Moss jersey, skins shorts, and clogs. Ran back to the living room, said 'hail' to my husband(no dap because we lost the last time I did that, so no more dap for him). Jumped in the car, raced to my b-i-l's house, ran up the stairs, knocked on the door, gave high 5's all around and then proceeded to gorge on my Redskins meal for the day.

A wonderful, combo meal of passes, runs and heads up defensive plays, turned this game into a much needed victory at home.

• THE BIG MAC - Amidst a sweltering heat and oppressive humidity, our QB, who just a week or so ago looked as if it were his first time on a football field, came out and played like he was made for the game. For the Redskins faithful, this was pure joy. Jason Campbell made us all breathe a sigh of relief. His numbers told the story of how well he played and they definitely improved from the opener. 24/36 321 yds 1 TD 0 INT
• THE FRIES - Clinton Portis. What else can you say about a dude who just does what he does game after game? He plays hard, shows up every game and gives it his all. 'Nuff said!
• THE CHOCOLATE SHAKE - Santana Moss. A 67 yd pass from Jason, in stride, ala 2005 against a hated rival, was the go ahead play. We haven't seen this 'Tana for a while. He's been in a rocky patch over the past several seasons. I think most of that was due to little, nagging injuries that he acquired here and there. His numbers were good as well. 7 catches, 164yds! Shake it baby!
• THE HOT FUDGE SUNDAE - De-fense De-fense. Say it with me now! The defense stepped it up to another level. Some of the regulars were inactive which allowed a rookie safety to prove his worth. And he answered the call. Chris Horton, a rookie out of UCLA came up with some larger than life plays that in the end sealed this much needed victory. I think most of us(skins fan that is)saw something in Chris Horton during the pre-season. We were just kinda laid back about it because preseason is....pre season after all. But after his performance on Sunday afternoon, we are certainly glad our gut reactions were correct about this young man. London Fletcher added 7 more tackles to bring his total tackles for 2 regular season games to 24. Can you say tackling machine? I thought you could!
• THE HEARTBURN AND INDIGESTION - There's always room for improvement. Even though I'm a complete homeristic fan of this team, I still manage, from time to time, to see beyond my own myopic view, and recognize areas where there can be improvements. As good as Jason Campbell's numbers were, they weren't as good as they could have been. There were some times when he settled for his "check down" receivers when there were 1st and perhaps 2nd options available. Now in all fairness, I wasn't at the game on Sunday, so I am relying on others' viewpoint. IMO, Jason is still holding the ball too long. His timing is still off and needs work. Drop, step, pass...boom, boom, boom! Hopefully that will come when he's more comfortable. Special teams, which is usually an area where there have been few complaints of late, just couldn't get it going for whatever reasons. Shaun Suisham missed 2 field goals. Neither one was that unmakeable in my eyes. And we allowed Reggie Bush to show us his best imitation of Devin Hester. But Reggie Bush then showed us his TO imitation and was flagged for taunting during that return which set their ensuing kick off back a few hash marks. The offense's inability to get to the promised land after sustaining some good drives. We must get better at getting the 6!

So where do we go from here? Upwards, I hope! Will we have the staying power to compete in this division? Perhaps. But it's a first year head coach and a new offense, how much should we expect? For now, I'm enjoying one game, played reasonably well. As for the rest of the season....Let's make it a combo meal to go!

Mardi Gras in D.C.

Week 2

Skins vs Saints

Doesn't that sound like fun? Since Henny Penny and the Gang are now safely back in the barn, the rest of Redskins nation can venture into the land of optimism once again. This week the Skins have the opportunity to prove that the last 3 games of their young season were just an optical illusion. They can step into their destiny by beating the Saints this weekend in their 2008 home opener. The Saints seem to be garnering a lot of attention this season and a win against them would go a long way in calming the collective nerves of Redskins fans the world over.

I remember the days when Saints fans wore paper bags over their heads to their games. What an awful thing to be forced to do. But this is football. Anything and everything can be achieved if given the proper tools. A picture like this does speak a thousand words.

As week 2 gets ready to get underway, some Redskins fans are beginning to ask if those Saints fans possibly kept some of those infamous bags from years gone by and if they can have them just in case. Yes, it's inevitably time to "do the poo" or get off the pot! Never mind that we've been on a perpetual coaching merry-go-round for years. And each coach brought a new "solution" to our problems. None of them actually HAD the answer, mind you, and if the truth be told, some weren't given the necessary time to grasp the problems, much less solve them. Another new season brings yet another go round on that carousel.

There's been nothing glamorous or "hip" about being a Redskins fan for quite some time. But it's a life that I'm not willing to lay aside. Each Sunday, it happens. That small, glimmer of hope, ignites into a passion of fire for this team that can't be denied. (If you're a Skins fan..you get it). It seems so unfair really. We're probably some of the most loyal and dedicated fans in the league, yet each year we stand by as the flames get stomped out by opposing teams on their way to the big show. We have most of the tools to emerge from the depths of mediocrity. But can we? Can we put the pieces of the puzzle in the right places at last? I know that a great majority of fans feel that Jason Campbell needs to kick it up a notch and fast. But is it fair to expect him to come out and perform flawlessly after yet another change of offense? To be honest, I've been a bit disappointed in his overall performance at the helm. I really thought he would "take off" last season. We saw flashes of his abilities from time to time. When he was on, he played very well, when he wasn't, he stunk up the joint. Have circumstances conspired to keep him less than stellar? It may not sound like it, but I'm in the camp of folks who think the guy deserves a chance to prove his worth in a more stable environment vs the "coach-go-round" that has been Washington for the past few years. Studying his craft from the bench for a year, getting his chance after an aging and injured journeyman QB failed to satisfy the appetite of this hungry franchise and it's owner, enduring the tragic loss of a teammate, and finally, sitting after a scary, but not career-ending (thankfully) injury, makes for a bumpy ride on the way to the top.

With all that said, time is moving on and Redskins fans aren't getting any younger or any more patient. If only it were as easy as putting words on a blog. Our leader has appeared, at times, lost and confused on the field. That is a BIG concern for the B&G faithful. This game is going to be the barometer for the rest of this season believe it or not. And like it or not, we will face our demons come 1:00pm on Sunday. All we want is to see some sort of improvement, a grasp of the fundamentals at the very least.

We want 'Mardi Gras' in DC! The Saints will come and they will bring their somber looking, black and gold uniforms and try to make our demons run amok in Fed Ex.

Will it be 'Fat Tuesday' or 'Black Sunday' ? Time will tell and Jason holds the keys to car. I only hope he's paid attention in driver's ed.

Prediction: Redskins -- 17* Saints -- 13

*Pure homerism at it's best! And I know you thought I was going to start with..'When the Saints go Marching In'...I admit it was tempting but in the end I didn't want the Saints to steal my thunder.

One Small Step, One Giant Leap

I sat at work yesterday evening waiting for the clock on the wall to strike 6:30pm so I could high tail it out of there and get on to more important things. My Skins were about to open their 2008 football season and I was primed for an unbelievable night of Redskins madness. I raced to the parking lot, jumped into the Escort(yes..that's a Ford Escort ZX2 5 spd), and started down the road. I only live 15 minutes from the place of my employment, so I knew I had plenty of time to make it home before kickoff. Now, if any of you reading this have ever driven in the Hampton Roads area, you know that getting home sometimes can be a monumental task. Usually, there is very little rush hour traffic and the ride home is typically uneventful. But NOT on this night. I caught every red light on the 6 mile trek to my house.(That's about 12 all together). I got behind the oldest, slowest and most non-driving human being in the great state of VA! I dodged and weaved and finally pulled into my driveway at 6:50pm. During this trying drive home, my brother-in-law sends me a text and asked me why I'm not at his house yet to share this moment! I calmly text him back(not recommended if you're driving at the time btw) and explained to him that I was trapped in red light hell and behind some one's grandmother whom the DMV should know ought not to have a license still. Hold the fort, I'm coming! Ran into the house, spoke to my husband as I ran into my bedroom, threw open my Redskins T-shirt drawer, picked out the white franchise tee that I bought years ago and my Skins shorts, and of course on my feet were the Skins Crocs that I had worn to work for good measure.(Never underestimate karma..mmmk?) Ran back through the living room, shouted something to my husband about the Redskins game, opening night, we're gonna win, gave him "dap" and I was on the road. Turned up the radio that was tuned into Sonny, Sam and Larry, out of DC for the game. I laughed and shook my head as Larry Michael informed the listening audience that Khary Campbell had somehow managed to get injured DURING THE COIN TOSS! "The coin toss?", I said. "You've got to be freakin' kiddin' me! No one gets hurt on the coin toss! Did the coin fly out of Mrs. Upshaw's hand and bean him in the eye or something?" This was not a good sign. Only the Redskins can get hurt during the coin toss I shouted out of my window to no one in particular. Luckily, I was close to my destination at this point. Got to my b-i-l's just after the opening kick. Not too bad for an Escort!

Have you ever heard the saying "I should have stayed in bed"? Well, the Redskins should have stayed in bed last night. We not only managed to get a player hurt during the coin toss, we could get nothing in gear for the entire first half save the last 2 minutes. Campbell was sacked on the 1st offensive series, penalties, missed receivers, dropped passes(you get the picture). The Giants,however, scored a TD on their first offensive series. The Giants scored 2 more times during the first half and I felt the pain.

"Or will they struggle just to get a first down?"

Remember this question from the previous entry in this blog? The answer to this question is YES! The Redskins had 1 first down in the 1st quarter and that was given to them on a roughing the kicker penalty late in that quarter. It was an abysmal picture to say the least. We finally were able to put some sort of an attempt at playing the game together close to the end of the half when Jason Campbell hit Santana Moss with a 12yd strike and he scooted into the end zone for a TD. All present clapped and said, "we'll take it!". (At that point, we would have taken blood from a turnip if it meant something positive.)

There were a few bright spots mixed in with the darkness of defeat.

• Clinton Portis looked decent enough. He gave all that he had and he became frustrated at the lackluster performance of those around him. I saw him once giving advice to Jim Zorn on the sideline and then he broke for a respectable run.
• Our rookie punter got plenty of practice(unfortunate in one way..good in another)and he didn't perform too shabbily. There were a few glitches but all in all, he seems to be the real deal (we hope).
• We were able to keep the champs from scoring in the 2nd half. But of course we didn't score either so take that for what it's worth. [snort..big sigh]
• London Fletcher is one of the best defensive players in the league. He's of small stature but he's of huge heart. I thanked the Almighty for him many times during the game last night.

As the game progressed, the Redskins seemed to have slowly made their way out of the fog and clouds of preseason and took a few, small steps into their new direction. It's apparent that this team has a ways to go before we can talk about the success or failure of our new coach.

As a faithful and die hard fan of this team, it's painful to see, yet again, that we are starting over. As I contemplated this game all day on Thursday, I was hopeful that we could keep it close. We did, but not entirely on our own merit. The Giants actually had a hand in the small steps that we managed to take. The penalties, the interception, the missed throws and shades of old Eli, kept us in the game. The Giants, for the most part, played well. Hats off to them.

As for my Redskins, this is just another step on the journey to the top. While I was disappointed in how this season started, I am hopeful that as a team, my Redskins can pull it together and show their fans that with a lot of patience, a lot of learning and a little luck, this franchise can once again, stake it's claim to fame.

I must endure yet another mediocre season of football. I'll make excuses, justifications and pick out with a fine-tooth comb, the positives every week. One small step into the new direction of this team, one giant leap is yet to be made. I'll be waiting patiently just like I have over the last 17 years. Sooner or later, it will pay off.

'Twas the Night Before...

Aaaaah yes...just like Christmas Eve has it's own giddiness surrounding it for the kids of the world, so does the night before opening day of the football season for fans all over this country. We've waited patiently, asked the football "Santa" for a just few things in the off season:

• A new head coach that we can all get behind and support. (check)
• Don't waste a lot of draft picks on players we don't really need(almost got that one..it improved over the previous years..so I count this one as gifted to me)
• Don't allow us to lose over abundance of players to injury during practice, training camp and pre season games(this also wasn't too shabby although some of our warriors are gimpy, most are in one piece)
• That our record be better than the season before(high hopes I know...but hey look at the name of the blog...'nuff said)

With everything on the list checked off, we started the long wait from the tumultuous end of last season to this...the night before opening day in the NFL. Can you feel it? Soon the day of reckoning will be upon us. Come 7:00 pm EST tomorrow, the wait will be over and the kick-off will take us into the realm of helmets hitting, pads crunching, footballs flying, clashings of the titans on tap for opening night. All of the what ifs, how-to's, and do overs will be finished. All of the chalkboard X's and O's will be real people with real intentions of winning this game. And just like waking up Christmas day and tearing open the packages to find just what you wanted or the exact thing you didn't want, our emotions will rise and fall by what transpires on that field. Until then, it will feel, to every Redskins fan, like we're standing on a cliff, teetering on the edge and whether we fall or not, depends on this team's ability to rise to the occassion and leave no doubt about what direction this franchise is going.

There's so much that we don't know about our beloved team and it leaves us(me is more accurate)with a somewhat uneasy feeling going into this season. So many questions that beg to be answered. Will they be the consummate pros, executing with precision the playbook that was laid before them? Will they thrill us with their polished passes and spot on defense? Or will they struggle just to get a first down? It can be nerve wracking to say the least. Add to that the fact that we're jumping directly into the fire by playing the defending Super Bowl champions and our collective nerves are strung tighter than a guitar string about to be plucked by Jimi Hendrix. (that's for my over 40 friends)

Our opponents will receive their "bling-bling" and all the accolades that come with that prior to the contest. There will be a feeling of superiority in the air that surrounds the Meadowlands tomorrow night and I'm hoping that there is just enough "super bowl hangover" to allow the Skins to "sneak in the back door" and snatch the prize without so much as breaking a sweat(ok..ok..so that's a bit over the edge. Can't blame a girl for trying though).

As I call it a night, on this the day before THE DAY, I have visions of an upset dancing in my head. The bubbles of Giants fans bursting as we fade out of sight. On Campbell, on Portis, on Moss and Cooley, take 'em home boys before this crowd gets unruly!

One can only hope. Ready or not...here we come NY!