DC is becoming superstar city

DC area sports fans are a long suffering fan base. The district hasn't won a major sports title since before Bill Clinton was president. The Redskins are the champions of the off-season every year before ultimately crumbling into mediocrity. The Wizards have the dumbest name in sports, and haven't been truly relevent since they were the Bullets. The Nationals have been bottom dwellers since they came to DC in 2005. The Capitals, while brilliant during the regular season, have continuously choked in the playoffs. Yes, the DC sports scene has been downright depressing.

Better days look to be on the horizon. Steven Strasburg has looked incredible in his first few weeks as a starter, and has single handedly brought baseball to the forefront in Washington. Alex Ovechkin is the best player in hockey and has brought the Capitals onto the national scene. With the selection of John Wall last night, the Wizards have their point guard of the future and look to be well on their way to bouncing back from the nightmare season of last year. Even the Redskins seem to be making good moves, with the addition of proven winners Donovan McNabb and Mike Shanahan. It all looks good on paper, but as we in DC know, it's a little early to get too excited.

To really turn the page and change the culture of sports here in Washington D.C, we need to get rid of a couple players. Those of course would be Albert Haynesworth and Gilbert Arenas. The first player is obvious. This guy is lazy, out of shape, and thinks he's god's gift to the world. Can he be a dominant force on the defensive line? Of course he can. But if the Redskins truly want to compete for championships they need to do away with signing these high priced free agents and bring in more character guys.

The Gilbert Arenas situation is a little more cloudy. One thing I think we can all agree on is the guy is not the sharpest tool in the shed. I don't think he's a bad person for what he did, just an idiot. The way he handled himself afterward is why people are so pissed. But the gun situation isn't the main reason I think he needs to go. I'd be willing to give him a second chance if he started becoming a leader on this team. With John Wall coming in, I'm worried having Gilbert around will hurt his progression as a point guard. Gilbert can say all the right things, but at the end of the day he wants the ball in his hands all the time. Also, let's not kid ourselves and think Gilbert is going to bring the Wizards into title contention. The guy had a couple spectacular years but is always injured and doesn't bring it every night. I say cut our losses(that contract truly is horrific) and move on to the John Wall era.

One more thing. I think John Wall is legit and will be a better pro than he was a college player. The guy has all the intangibles you need in a great point guard and I'm excited for what the Wizards can do next year if they put a few more pieces together. Though I'll always be a Boston sports fan at heart, I always have supported the DC area teams and hope the superstars can help Washington's teams live up to the hype.

The Kobe/Jordan debate is ridiculous

We live in a "what have you done for me lately" society. People have short memories and often think whoever is hot at that moment is the greatest ever at whatever they do. No segment of the population is guiltier of this than sports fans. We proclaim everything as the “greatest game" or " greatest player". We are so quick to judge everything the day after it happens without putting it in any kind of context. This is exactly what is happening right now with Kobe Bryant.

Look, as much as I hate the guy, Kobe is one of the 10-15 best players of all time. But to compare him to Jordan is silly. What's even more ridiculous is making all of these comparisons before the Finals. If Kobe loses that will make him 4-3 in championship series’ and 1-2 without Shaq. That will also mean he has lost twice to his most bitter rival and three times as a favorite.

For anyone who forgets, Jordan was 6 for 6 in Finals appearances. Why are we so eager to anoint everyone the next Jordan? More than likely there will never be another player like him because the game has changed so much.

Even if Kobe wins the title this year, I don't think the Jordan comparison is applicable. Kobe spent the first part of his career as a secondary player to Shaq. Also, don't compare Scottie Pippen and Shaq please. Pippen was a great player and one of my favorites to watch, but he wasn't Shaq. Shaq is one of the most dominant players of all time and was in his prime during those title years. Also, I think we can all agree that it is much easier to win a title with a dominant big man than it is with a swing man.

At any rate, the simple fact is it's ridiculous to make statements like Kobe is better than Jordan when the facts don't back them up. The truth is if Kobe loses to the Celtics again those same writers will talk about how he has lost 3 Finals and is overrated. They will go right back on the Lebron bandwagon again. I wish people could just be more patient. These debates are fun but only when they make sense. Let's hope the Celtics crush the Lakers and end this debate once and for all.

Lebron showed us why he'll never be like Mike

First off, the Celtics victory over the Cavs was no fluke. They are a better team than the Cavs top to bottom and dominated the series in pretty much every phase. The media and fans are coming down on Lebron pretty hard and for good reason.  It's not so much that the Cavs lost the series, because like I said the Celtics are a better team when they are playing at their best. Rather, it's HOW they lost the series, or more specifically, what Lebron showed in defeat.

Lebron James is a truly remarkable player that eventually will win a championship or two. However, in my opinion he will never be Michael Jordan or Larry Bird or any of the truly great ones.  The reason for this is simple; he lacks a killer instinct. Every great player in every sport has had an insane drive to win everything. Larry Bird walked into the locker room before the 1986 Three Point shootout and asked who would be finishing second. Jordan would turn everything into competitions from board games to black jack. These guys hated to lose more than they loved to win. Lebron seems content with just making a lot of money.

Also, Lebron typifies the modern day coddled athlete. Larry Bird played injured half his career. He could barely bend down after games yet still played his heart out and sacrificed his body diving for loose balls. We all know MJ had the flu so bad he was practically throwing up on the sidelines during Game 5 of the 1997 Finals. Yet he still willed his team to victory. Lebron would've been at home getting a foot rub probably. All in all, players these days just aren't as tough, and Lebron is the poster child for it.

Why I like the McNabb deal

It's been about a week since the surprise announcement that Donovan McNabb was coming to the Redskins in exchange for a second round pick this year and either a 3rd or 4th pick next year. The reaction around the DC area has been mixed, but many seem to hate the deal. This goes to show you the general attitude Redskins fans have of their team and for good reason.

The Skins have always been the champs of the off-season. Unfortunately they have not been able to follow that up with a quality product during the season itself.  The truth is, they haven't made a big splash like this since I can remember. This is not trading for a running back, defensive tackle or linebacker. This is a trade involving their division rival for the most important position in not just football, but all of sports. It's a risk worth taking in my opinion.

McNabb is not going to carry this team on his shoulders. He's not the player he once was. However, he certainly is a winner. Five Conference Championship games with a mediocre at best receiving core(besides the TO year) is very impressive during the free agency era. Not winning a Super Bowl doesn't make you a bad quarterback.  Marino and Jim Kelly never won a Super Bowl, and neither one of them played in the NFL today that is full of parody.

In addition, he's had to deal with the hostile Philadelphia sports scene. Skins fans are passionate, but at least they like their own team.  He's also battled injuries and the biggest jerk in sports in Terrel Owens and still been able to be successful. Through all this he has for the most part carried himself as a true professional.

I think the biggest problem people have with this deal is that they see it as a typical Redskins move. That is signing a high priced, well known player on the downside of their career. They expect the worst. But I think McNabb can succeed if they put the right players around him. First things first, get an offensive line. Peyton Manning would have struggled last year behind that patchwork line. Granted Campbell takes about 3 days to get his throws off, but still that line was atrocious. Second, get rid of Portis and Haynesworth. Portis is a shell of his former self and is a "me first" type of player who the Redskins don't need as they try to turn another chapter. Haynesworth is an impact player, but is injury prone and plays half the snaps.  Cut your losses and move on.

There has been a culture of losing in Redskins nation for the last 15 years or so. Dan Snyder doesn't know football and only cares about money so it's really not that unexpected.  The good news is Shanahan and Bruce Allen both have proven track records and know football. I really think Shanahan's success with Elway at the tail end of his career is a good sign in terms of what we can expect from McNabb. Donovan is no Elway, but still has some good years left in him.  Also, don't underestimate the power of revenge. McNabb can talk all he wants about having love for Philly and just being excited to start fresh. But he's a human being, and anyone would be upset after how he was treated there.

Lastly, let's not forget Jason Campbell. Campbell was set up to fail in Washington and it's best for him to try to find a team, any team, that he can start fresh with. I think we all can agree that Campbell handled himself like a true professional in his time in Washington and we wish him the best.

I think Redskins nation should embrace their new quarterback and hope for the best. This is a guy that has been there before and is a proven winner. Plus, don't underestimate the fact that he knows the defense of a team they play two times a year. I think the Redskins are better overall than they were before the deal and look forward to more moves this offseason.

Respect your Enemies

I was all set to go off on a crazy tangent about my digust that the Yankees, Lakers, and Duke all have won titles this past calendar year. Then I stopped and thought, what is the use? The fact is, my teams have had a great run the past 10 years and I should appreciate that. If my major complaint in life are that the teams I hate the most are winning championships life is pretty damn good.

Next to the Lakers there is no team I despise more than Duke. However, I will give credit where credit is due. Coach K is an outstanding coach and deserves the recognition he gets. Past Duke teams have been soft, but this years team was tough mentally and physically. They had superior size and 3 guys that could score 20 points on any given night. I wish UNC had a point guard like Nolan Smith and shooters like Singler and Schyer(sigh).

They were gift wrapped an extremely easy bracket, but then again so was every team after so many teams fell early. It doesn't matter who you play, winning a national title is a tough thing to do. Watching Butler's run to the title game is proof that you actually do have to watch some mid major basketball to do well in your brackets. I had Butler out first round based on word of mouth alone. If I had seen how good this team was I would have had them at least to the Elite 8.

One of the hardest things to do as a sports fan is give credit to the teams you hate.  If this was 5 years ago I'd be depressed and angry throwing around excuses like it was my job.  But I like to think I have matured since then, and now realize there really is no use for stressing over things like this. What can you do? The teams won and that's that. Hope for a better season for your teams next year and move on with your life. Congrats to Duke, but UNC will be back next year and ready to take you down.

Anyone But Duke

I hope to never see this again

The title of this post says it all. Since UNC and Umass aren't in the tournament this year my number one focus is Duke losing. Unfortunately, and it sickens me to say this, but they have played pretty well these last few weeks especially on the defensive side of the ball. Not to mention they were gift wrapped the easiest region of all time even though they were a borderline #1 seed to begin with. I guess the silver lining in all of this is I get to root against them one more time on Saturday. Like I've said before, rooting against a team can almost be as fun as rooting for a team.

Every March Madness is filled with surprises but this one seems to be especially "mad" if you will. Two 5 seeds playing each other and three of the four #1 seeds bowing out early. It goes to show you that basketball is by far the dumbest sport to bet on. It's way too unpredictable. My bracket was toast after Villanova and Kansas lost in the same day. It looks more and more like naming my work pool Anyone but Duke may have had the opposite effect. Let's just say I'll be a huge WVU fan this Saturday.

A few months ago I wrote a column "Down with the Haters" about my dislike of people that hate just to hate. Now, I guess in some ways I'm guilty of this when it comes to my feelings for Duke. However, I think it's okay to hate a team more than it is to hate a player. Unless that individual has specifically harmed you or someone you know there's no reason to hate that particular individual. The exceptions to this? Terrell Owens and Kobe Bryant; Everyone should hate them.

Hating a team is different because you aren't attacking a person but rather just an organization. I don't hate Coach K or John Schyer or any of those guys. I just hate or rather strongly dislike Duke's basketball team. Same goes for the Lakers. While I don't like a lot of the players on the Lakers I don't hate them personally, but I do hate the Lakers as a team. Well, I do strongly dislike Kobe because I don't see any possibility of him being a good person.

The point is, part of loving sports is hating some teams. But always make sure to not take it so seriously. Remember these guys did not do anything to you and are just trying to help their teams win. Also, like I always say we wouldn't hate these teams if they weren't good You can root against them as much as you want, but let's quit with the personal attacks. Except of course if those personal attacks are going against T.O or Kobe, then please attack at will!

Why we love the Underdog

March Madness means the underdog takes front stage once again. In no other sporting event in the world do we see more upsets than during these 3 weeks. Nobody becomes somebody. Heroes are born. Goliaths fall. We embrace the underdog because in a way most of us are all underdogs in some sense. We want to see the little guy win because we have all been in that position before. Sure, when Northern Iowa toppled #1 seed Kansas most of us tore up our brackets. But then we cheered for these unknowns who were suddenly on center stage. Why? Because we've all dreamed of feeling that excitement for ourselves.

It's interesting that Americans get so behind underdogs because America is the anti-underdog. We are the most powerful nation in the world and besides soccer, expected to win pretty much everything. But while America itself is like that, the citizens themselves come from all walks of life. 99% of us will never set foot on the world stage. We go about our regular days fighting against the odds to succeed. The world is a cruel place sometimes and we are all battling to make it through. For us, we are the underdogs in this game of life (sappy but true!)

I realized when the Colts lost to the Saints in the Super Bowl that it is almost as fun to root against a team as it is for a team. That is another reason we love the underdog. We love to root against the favorite. For the casual fan who doesn't have money on their bracket, you are probably pulling for Cornell tomorrow night. Chances are you won't be rooting for Duke to win it all. I'd love to see an all mid major final someday. I can see Duke and Kentucky play anytime I want.

Nobody remembers the favorites who won. We all remember when George Mason made their magical run back in 2006, but some might take a few moments to remember who actually won that tournament. " Who is this year's George Mason" replaced "Who is this year’s Gonzaga". You never hear who is this year's Kansas or UNC or Duke. Every year there is a champion but usually it's the underdogs who stay in our memories forever.

My bracket is done and has been since Villanova lost last Saturday, but truthfully I don't care. I'm going to enjoy rooting for the Cornell's and Saint Mary's of the world. I'm going to hope Northern Iowa can continue their magical run. I'm going to root with everything I have against Duke. I will always cheer for the underdog unless of course it is against any of my teams. It's human instinct to root for them. Plus, it's just a lot more fun if the little guy wins than the favorite, don't you agree?