D.C. Sports Bog

Zorn: "It is bleak"

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:25:50 -0500

(By John McDonnell - TWP) That was kind of unfortunate. Leading and shutting out Dallas in the Cowboys' ridiculous home stadium for most of the game, then losing by one at very end after two missed field goals feels more nauseating than losing to Detroit, I think. "There's no loss tougher than this," Doc Walker said at the end of ESPN 980's radio broadcast. "This makes you sick to your stomach, to be here in this cesspool and lose." A few quick reactions. Bleak "I really believe this is a special team of players who will not just chuck things in," Jim Zorn said. "Being 3-7, it is bleak. You know, being 3-7 is bleak. And yet we're gonna come back, we've got another big name next week, we're gonna look at our roster, and patch it up and go again." All that being said, I'm going to focus

Redskins still hate Dallas

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:20:46 -0500

This was predictable, but when I posted the other day how Dexter Manley and Darryl Grant still hate Dallas, out came the comments about how those were the good old days when real men knew how to hate The Star, when winning was more important than making a few bucks, when various organs would be left on the field, etc. And maybe so. Certainly those guys won a lot of games, and certainly they helped elevate the rivalry to the point that it would star in strange athletic ad campaigns, as seen above. But I figured it was worth pointing out that there are plenty of current Redskins who at least know how to hate the Cowboys. For example: "I've been playing against them for so long, it's pretty much the same emotion every time: you hate em, period," Mike Sellers told CSN's Kelli Johnson. "If you have to

Dexter Manley on making Danny White cry

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:14:44 -0500

(AP archives) If you've ever heard Dexter Manley talk, you know that it can be a sometimes baffling yet thrilling experience. His answer to one question will quickly veer to something else entirely, then something else, then something else, then a plug for Certified Building Services, then a sharp dash of pathos, then an aside about Joe Gibbs, and then finally he'll be interrupted and asked something else after 15 minutes or so. So trying to piece together two of Manley's radio interviews this week, both on ESPN 980, is a bit of a job. But let's get to some highlights anyhow. Like, here was when he was asked about knocking out Danny White during the 1982 NFC championship game at RFK, which remains one of the indelible images of this Dallas-Washington rivalry. "I could tell as he was going down, he was whining like a baby, and I

Earl Boykins bench presses more than you

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:57:54 -0500

Earl Boykins man is listed at 5-foot-5, 139. His max bench press is 315 pounds. This makes him the Wizards' strongest pound-for-pound player. And a lot of people, I told him, are surprised by that number. "I think they should be," he said. "I think they should be." Teammates, too. I guess to NBA veterans and longtime observers, the 315 number is sort of legendary, but to newcomers, it's still a shock. If Shaquille O'Neal could bench a number in the same proportion to his weight, he'd be hoisting 736 pounds. "That's amazing for a guy that little in stature, but he's got a big heart," said Randy Foye, whose all-time max was about 290. "It's just amazing to think about It like that, a guy that small can bench that much." "That's a lot of weight," said Mike Miller, who joked (I think) that his max is 105.

Matt Bradley on blood, fights and stitches

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:45:01 -0500

(By Frank Franklin II) Since this has obviously been declared Matt Bradley Week, I'm gonna take another crack at this thing. Bradley was on Mike Wise's 106.7 radio show earlier this week, and since Wise is never shy about asking exactly what he wants to ask, the interview turned into a nice extended discussion of the fighting ethos. (Listen here.) "I don't know, it's just one of those things, it's just part of the game," Bradley said. "You know, to people who don't play the game, I know it seems kind of weird. But it's something we've grown up doing, and I guess it seems normal to us. I guess it does seem a little odd to other people.... "There's still nerves. I mean, any time you go into a fight, whether it's just spur of the moment or you want to go out and get a guy or

Teammates respond to Gilbert's Twitter quest

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:17:51 -0500

Gilbert Arenas's quest for one million Twitter followers has now been going on for about two days. He's got about 2,300 followers. If he can maintain this pace, he'll reach a million followers in about two-and-a-half years, by which point no one will be using Twitter any more. (Sign up here.) The quest--with Arenas saying he won't begin tweeting until he nabs his millionth follower--has already led to a very brief AP brief: Asked why he picked that number, he said because it's "so far-fetched." When someone pointed out to Arenas that the way people tend to accrue followers is by tweeting, he replied: "I'm trying to do the opposite." Shocking. My friend Bethlehem Shoals also discussed the issue at The Baseline, correctly noting that "If LeBron tried a stunt like that, there's no way he would get away with it." I was interviewing Earl Boykins Thursday afternoon when

Caron Butler in the urban jungle

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:14:33 -0500

"Hey Dan," read the e-mail from Reader Matt. "Do you know where to find a video of the Caron Butler commercial that they run on Comcast during games this year?" This is now a full-service Wizards blog, so here you go, Matt. Special bonus: the Antawn Jamison video, from the same series, after the jump. And here's the bonus question: where is Caron walking during the gritty urban jungle portion of this ad? Come on, D.C. people, impress me with your knowledge.

Wiz game draws celebrities, weird sleeves

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:18:30 -0500

Hey, all you people who've been bugging me for more Wiz and Caps and less Redskins radio transcriptions better be happy. And better be hitting refresh. Anyhow, one of the most jarring aspects of Wednesday night's Wiz game was undoubtedly the one-armed sleeves worn by Mike Miller and Antawn Jamison. "Pretty sure the Wizards lead the league in asymmetrical undershirts," twoeightnine observed. "Antawn Jamison looks like a mummy," Michael Lee noted. "In solidarity with Tawn, intern Ken cut his Jahidi thong in half. We support your rite 2 murder fruit & keep 1 appendage warm !!!" the Wizznutzz wrote. Don't worry, no one understands. Anyhow, when you weren't staring at the white man with the black sleeve and the black man with the white sleeve, maybe you noted some of the celebrities who were in the house. Not real celebrities, maybe, but D.C. sports celebrities, at least.

LeBron's night, in pictures

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:35:44 -0500

Some people might ask whether this LeBron hatred stuff ever gets old, this reveling in the Wizards scoring one home win over another against a top-flight Cavs team no matter what their own record is. No, is your answer. I mean, do fall Sundays ever get old? Do Dogfish Head limited releases ever get old? Do truth and justice and liberty ever get old? Does watching the final few seconds of George Mason's win over U-Conn. ever get old? Does staring at this absolutely perfect photo above ever get old? "DeShawn meets LeBron," wrote the brilliant Paul Rovnak. "Sums up the game. DeShawn played can't-feel-my-face defense and LeBron's head got too big." And yes, the Wiz were really handing out I-Can't-Feel-My-Face bobblehands Wednesday night. So anyhow, let's take a look at LeBron's night. You'll notice that LeBron's first deployment of the arms-akimbo outrage came exactly 2:19 into the game.

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Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:35:44 -0500

Kornheiser takes the high road

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:42:10 -0500

Maybe you listened to Tony Kornheiser's ESPN 980 radio show Wednesday morning, hoping that Tony would respond to Mike Wise's comments on Tuesday about Kornheiser's comments on Monday. Well, if that's why you were listening, Tony was willing to briefly play along. "We are THRILLED at the ratings lately, where we are SOARING and ZOOMING past all competition from 10-12," he began. "We're ABSOLUTELY thrilled at that. I want to begin on just a slightly personal note, and I guess a lot of people are waiting for me to do this. I want to talk about a columnist at The Washington Post, someone that I knew a little bit for a long time but I wouldn't say that I was friendly with on any level, and I want to discuss something that he had written in today's paper. So if you're tape recording this, get ready. Courtland Milloy wrote a

Welcome to America's first green pro sports team

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:14:39 -0500

"I'm just so appreciative to come back," former Terps star Byron Mouton said during Wednesday's introductory Maryland GreenHawks press conference. "I love playing basketball, and going out and talking to kids about global warming." Look, this is going to take some getting used to for all of us. The NightHawks--who claim to be the nation's longest-running minor-league basketball franchise--have gone green, changing their name, attracting green-friendly sponsors like Honest Tea and Sweet Green and CarbonFund.org, and holding an introductory event at which the promise of a bamboo court, hemp nets and uniforms made from either recycled plastic or recycled bamboo were floated. "I've never been at a press conference talking about recycling," said Coach Rob Spon, a veteran of the IBL, CBA, IBA, USBL and PBL, the league in which the GreenHawks play. "This is a first for me." I should note that Spon's name plate was missing from

Gilbert chases wackiness and Twitter

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:13:45 -0500

So the new thing now is that "Gilbert Arenas" is somehow failing, and that "Agent Zero," represented as a Lil Penny-esque bobblehead in the above video from Gil's Web site, needs to return to save the day. "Man, you're just gonna disrespect your boss after I made you a superstar, boy?" Agent Zero asks Gilbert in the video. "You're just lame without Agent Zero, you understand me? Regular Gilbert is about as entertaining as a plant....Need I remind you that it was I, Agent Zero, who was hitting all those game-winning shots?" And so on. I don't know about all that, but at least one therapist somewhere in the D.C. area better be making a killing off this stuff. Also, it sure is tough to capture the past, isn't it? Gilbert has also promised to start Tweeting, provided he can get a million followers. I mean, Shaq has 2.5

Matt Bradley's bloody night, in pictures

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:25:35 -0500

You won't see a better night by a so-called role player in D.C. sports this year. It's just impossible. Let's recap. First, with his team down, 1-0, Bradley starts punching Rangers tough guy Aaron Voros in the head. And vice versa, obviously.

Portis says RB situation isn't awkward at all

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:17:33 -0500

As Ladell Betts & Clinton Portis week continues, the injured No. 26 himself spoke up, discussing the future of the Skins' starting running back slot Tuesday afternoon. During his weekly appearance on ESPN 980's "John Thompson Show," Portis praised Betts and said he won't rush back from his concussion, but said he doubted he would lose his starting position when he's healthy. "It don't put me in an awkward situation at all," Portis said, when asked about Betts's breakout week, "Because I think I'll put myself up against anybody in the NFL [on] any day of the week. I think Ladell is a great guy, I think he's a great player, I think he's a great teammate for what he gives on the field. You never hear anything from him, he just goes out and [plays] hard and gives you everything he's got, so he deserves an opportunity. But at

Wise responds to Kornheiser, at long last

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:54:22 -0500

Well hold on just a minute. Seems the Redskins drama has suddenly taken a back seat to the media drama. As mentioned, Tony Kornheiser repeatedly ridiculed Mike Wise on his radio show Monday morning without deigning to mention his name. For example, he said a certain local columnist has "no idea what [he's] talking about," and that anyone who just got here five years ago is basically unfit to write knowledgeably about D.C. sports. Then, Wise spent four hours on HIS Tuesday radio show threatening to go scorched earth on his rival. He challenged Kornheiser to call him on the air, then repeatedly waffled over whether he should say anything or not, despite being egged on by texters and e-mailers and 106.7 The Fan employees. And just when it appeared to be a four-hour tease, Wise finally got a few things off his chest during his last segment of the