10/9/2011- Washington Capitals Game 1

Ahh the Capitals. The most reliable team in the D.C. area to deliver wins. As the Capitals raised their 5th consecutive Southeast Division Banner, the pressure to win the Stanley Cup once again loomed. This year, like the past 4 promises to see the Caps atop the Southeastern Division and one of the top teams of the Eastern Conference. And with a scoreless 1st period last night, it seems as though Coach Boudreau's defense first scheme is picking up right where it left off last season, but that may not be the best approach. The unstoppable offense of two years ago, which equaled the Capitals winning the Presidents Cup, came up short in the 1st round of the playoffs. Last year the defense stepped it up only to disappoint in the 2nd round to a division rival. Maybe this will be the year where the Capitals and Boudreau can find a recipe for success. We have sadly seen that it cannot be an offense or defense first team. If the Capitals can find a way to evenly distribute both, this may be their year

Alex Ovechkin showed great leadership last year sacrificing his tremendous goal scoring ability for defensive production. Last night was no preview of how his season will be. He spent most of the week in Russia following a death in the family.

Also, the Caps HAVE to try to finish games without them going to overtime. Let's not forget Playoff game 2 of the series against Tampa Bay last year where a goal was scored on an extremely lazy shift change. The Caps get tired after long games. Everyone does. But the difference is, the Caps get careless. Because of this, I will always be a nervous fan when a game goes into extra time.

Capitals 2011-2012 season is under way. Although it wasn't the most beautiful win in game 1, it's still a W

Cooley and the Average Redskin/NFL age

Chris Cooley. Someone that Washington fans have grown to trust over the years considering the amount of arrivals and departures from the team. But in recent weeks, Chris Cooley has received a lot of negative feedback for his inability to perform in games, with only 7 receptions for less than 70 yards on the season thus far. Fans may not know but he reported to Coach Shanahan that Fred Davis should receive (no pun intended) most of the looks for Tight End. Since then, Davis has been leading the team in receiving yards through Week 4. But let's look at it from a different perspective.

Chris Cooley is now 29. It is common knowledge that, since arriving in D.C., Coach Shanahan is trying to get the team younger. In one year Shanahan reduced the average age of the Redskins from 27.8 (the "oldest" team in the NFL) to 27.08. The average NFL age is 27.2. From a numbers perspective it does not seem like much. Now that we know this, Chris Cooley is an extremely seasoned veteran. Fans must now accept that Cooley's prime is behind him and the Fred Davis at TE era has begun. It seems a sad revelation to think that the most reliable Redskin over the past few years may be in a steady decline, I am happy to know that he has the grace to hand the torch to Fred Davis.

The State of Football

Recently i watched NFL Network's "100 Greatest Football Players of All Time" program. I found the show very entertaining and informative, but i think what I appreciated most was their extensive coverage of players that came before the modern era. The difference between the players today and the players of yesteryear are their passion for the game, something that seems to be lacking today. Players like Chuck Bednarik and Sammy Baugh, players who came way before my time but played multiple positions during their time in the league. These days, because of high dollar contracts and player safety, you never see things such as the teams Quarterback doubling as the teams punter AND defensive back. But that's what you got with Sammy Baugh (a Redskin I might add), a mighty force on both sides of the ball. How often do you hear of a player leading the league in passing, punting, and interceptions all in the same season? It's this kind of athlete i wish was around today. Instead, fans are forced to deal with a lockout while players and owners argue over money issues. Sammy Baugh signed a contract for $8,000 his first year with the Redskins. This made him the highest paid player on the team. Today, we have Albert Haynesworth signing a contract for $100,000,000 while he paces up the sidelines for most plays playing maybe 1 or 2 downs while the Skins are on defense. Baugh must have been rolling in his grave.
The closest player we have today to such a God of the Football field is Owen Marecic of Stanford. Owen plays both Fullback and Linebacker for the school. Just recently he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the 124th overall pick. It's players like Owen that teams should be vying for, instead of high profile, overconfident players such as Cam Newton and Nick Fairley. When I see Cam Newton I see a big resemblance to Jamarcus Russell. A lot of glitz and glamor, but that does not always equal success in the NFL. (i.e., the comparison to Russell). Marecic seems like a player who could be put on a field his rookie year and have instant success. He may not score a touchdown on offense and then 13 seconds later score one on defense (which he did in college) but his knowledge of both sides of the football will help him in droves. Hell, Stanford runs a pro style offense anyway, so it shouldn't be too hard or take too long before he records his first sack or scores his first touchdown. Old school football, filled with passion and "True Grit", may have died a long time ago, but there are still some solid players out there who care more about the game then the paycheck.