This Weeks List

As we stumble though the third month of my ranting (or my renaissance as I like to call it), I try my best to find shit no one else talks about. (The Caps! No one else gives a crap about them!)Seriously, that's too easy. I'm looking for more. Actually, I think I found a good one this time; one that all of you may be able to comment on. To comment--for all of you on-line retards out there, no offense--just click on the comments at the end of each post and speak your mind. There is a word verification you have to punch in, but that just keeps spam off the site and keeps Drew from posting vulgar obscenities whenever he pleases. Anyway, here it is, people:


4 Things that Looked Bad for Washington Sports this Year but Were Not

1. The NHL lockout: I know I'm a hockey fan, but these new rules that came as a direct result from the lockout are awesome! So many so-called experts preached that the NHL would lose money and fans, that certain or-gan-eye-za-tions would be folded--including my Caps--but the reverse has been the case. The new rules promote scoring, continuous play and none of that clutching and grabbing that made it hard for the skill players to shine. Attendance across the league is up, scoring is up... new fans like it! Not to mention that the Caps finally have a franchise player to brag about after having exactly ZERO franchise players play for them before they drafted Alexander Ovechkin. He brings people to their feet, makes players around him better and is the Whip-it type high that this town needs until we get down to some serious hockey next year. A! O! Let's GO!

2. Larry Hughes leaving the Wizards for the Cleveland Cavaliers: He was our best defender last year... led the league in steals. He left for a few dollars more to be with Lebron after the Wizards playoff run last year. The Wizards are just under .500, but guess what? Larry just broke his finger and is out 6-8 weeks. No, this isn't deja vu, Larry Hughes breaks something on or around his hand every year. The Wizards definitely miss his leadership and veteran presence, but come on! I don't think Larry has ever played in a full season. It's always a break to the hand that sends him to the injured list. As much as the below-.500 Wizards could use him, I think they will be better off in the future with the cap space they saved on Hughes contract, which could be used on a power forward that could help them more than if Larry stayed. Don't get me wrong, I miss him, but that doesn't mean we are worse without him. I'd rather have a 10 point and 12 rebound guy than a guy who always breaks his wrist/hand/thumb/finger(s) every January.

3. Mark Brunell as the starting Quarterback of your Washington Redskins: Apparently Brunell was washed up when Gibbs signed him in the emergency room of a Jacksonville hospital before the 2004 season. After last year, Gibbs was the only one to say Brunell wasn't done playing good football. Analysts all over the world screamed that Brunell was done and that the game had passed Gibbs by. Well, as the leader of the offense this year, Brunell threw for more touchdowns in a season than he ever has, he had the best TD to interception ratio of his career, and when he wasn't at the top of his game--like the game against the Eagles this past Sunday--he still made huge plays that put the Redskins in the victory column (like the scramble that kept the drive alive when they were only up by 4 points in the 4th quarter). Not bad, eh? That doesn't sound like a guy on his way oot, does it? No, I'm not from Canada, you hoser. I'm just a hockey fan!

4. No Lease Agreement and No New Owner for the Nats: This one might be a toughie. How the hell could I possibly put a positive spin on this? Well, I have only one thing to say: MONEY!!!
There is no other city in the USA--or any other country for that matter--that can get someone to pay over $450 million dollars for this franchise other than Washington D.C. There is no other place that can put the fannies in the seats like we can here. There is no other screwed up City Council that would actually stand up to those baseball-owner-buffoons than the District. Yes, this has played out too long, but think about this...

• The city doesn't want to cut the gadgets and gizmos out of the designs for the stadium. That will make it ordinary, not special. If they do cut costs and build a cookie-cutter, we wind up with CellularOne Ballpark, like the home of the White Sox. The city hasn't handled this very well, but I think they are right to get baseball to pony up some cash.
• No one could have predicted the raise in construction costs due to all the hurricanes last year, which sent the cost of the stadium through the roof! As dysfunctional as the DC government is, I actually think they have a valid point and baseball should put up more money for the stadium.
• Baseball has to come here or they wouldn't be threatening to go to arbitration. They could just move the Nationals now! Why don't they? Because they can't! They know they don't have a more lucrative market to fall back on. Sorry to all of you in Las Vegas, but the Nationals won't be moving west. Bet on it. I say 10-1 odds.

To borrow a hockey term, there is a big face off going on right now with this whole stadium deal. Baseball owners are the worst business men in sports. The DC government is the worst bunch of quasi-politician-for the people representatives in the country. There is a major compromise on the horizon here, people. One that gives us a great stadium, a good team and fills the pockets of both baseball and the District for years to come. I didn't graduate college, and even I can see that! Posturing should have a time limit. Sit down and work it out! I'll buy season tickets as soon as the deal is reached. I promise.

Hey Dad? I need to borrow some cash. Its for a good cause, I swear!