At offensive tackle, those two players are Russell Okung of Oklahoma State and Anthony Davis of Rutgers. Okung might be the best pass blocker in the nation, using tremendous balance and footwork in conjunction with long arms and his 6′8″ frame. He also plays nasty as a run blocker, and is sound technically in that area as well. Davis came out early as a junior for this draft, and has the potential to be an extremely physical tackle at the next level. He’s 6′5″, 330 lbs, and moves well for his size. While his size and strength will be an asset, he will need to show more consistency and better technique to be an elite player in the NFL.

The quarterbacks who could draw the Redskins’ interest in the first round are Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen out of Notre Dame. Bradford is a Heisman winner, who has superior accuracy and touch.  It is believed that he very well could have been the number one pick last draft had he come out early. By staying  at Oklahoma for his senior year he may have shot himself in the foot. He injured his throwing shoulder not once, but twice last season, and his arm strength was already average. Bradford is also somewhat difficult to evaluate because Oklahoma was such a talented offense, with open receivers everywhere and great pass protection.

Clausen’s stock is rising and he could very well be the number one quarterback on most teams’ draft board when it’s all said and done. He shows great accuracy and intelligence, with sufficient mobility and arm strength. His touch on deep passes is also very impressive. Playing in Charlie Weis’ pro-style system at Notre Dame will give him a distinct advantage over Bradford, who played in a spread offense. That knowledge, along with his competitiveness, could make a good impression in interview sessions at the combine. He will not throw at the combine however, due to a foot injury. He and Bradford will hold private workouts that could determine which of them is selected first, being that they are very closely rated at the moment.

Whichever of these positions isn’t addressed in the first round will very likely be addressed in the second, because offensive tackle is the biggest need position and Shanahan has reportedly stated that he will select a quarterback at some point in the first two rounds. However, they could always select a guard, a runningback, or a defensive back in the second round. Also, if the Skins fall in love with some of the elite players in this draft, such as defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy, or Tennessee safety Eric Berry, they make take such a player if they somehow fall to pick number four.

The NFL draft is a fluid situation, and the NFL combine will shake up a lot of things. Keep an eye out for the Combine Recap in the blogs, as well as mock drafts and opinion pieces. Who knows how much will change between now and April.

Now, that’s moot.

So, let’s celebrate that there is finally a Hog in the Hall… Heck, according to George Starke, he is the reason for the name, “The Hogs”… But, there needs to be one more.

The rest of the story is, while Grimm was clearly the heart of what was arguably the greatest offensive line in NFL history, he was but a part of it. The Hogs were comprised of great players…

Joe Jacoby, LT/RT, 1981-1993.

"Jake", leading the way

“Jake” is the poster child for the overlooked. He arrived as a no expectations free agent to Redskins camp… (legend has it that Joe Gibbs thought he was a Defensive Tackle, in as camp fodder) and became one of history’s greatest Left Tackles. For every year that Russ Grimm went to the Pro Bowl, Joe Jacoby was right next to him. Big Jake’s absence from the list of HOF candidates is no less baffling than the length of time it took for Monk and Grimm to be elected.

There are a number of other overlooked Redskins… and my concern is that time and distance will continue to dilute memories of their greatness…

This list is in no particular order… their greatness speaks for itself.

Len Hauss, Center, 1964-1977

Lenny Hauss, ready to roll

Hauss was the rock upon which Sonny Jurgenson, and later, Billy Kilmer, stood to weave their magic. He pointed the way for Larry Brown and Charlie Harraway. Hauss started 192 consecutive games between 1964 and 1977. He was selected for the Pro Bowl 6 times. For many years, when you thought “Center” the picture in your head had to have a burgundy jersey with the number 56. Lenny’s absence from the Hall is a disgrace.

Larry Brown, Half Back. 1969-1976.

Brown, on the move

Larry was Washington’s first 1000 yard rusher. He was the soul of the Redskins offense from 1970 until his retirement. His tenacious and gritty play was an inspiration to watch. He was a prolific rusher, a dangerous receiver out of the backfield, and a devastating blocker in pass protection… in fact, that was his forte when drafted by the great Vince Lombardi. It was Lombardi who discovered Larry’s hearing deficit, resulting in Larry suddenly being able to hear the snap count… and the rest was history. Larry was selected to the Pro Bowl 4 times, was a 3 time All Pro selection, and was named the NFL MVP in 1972. When Larry Brown played, he literally left it all on the field. Why is this incredible player not in the Hall?

Jerry Smith, Tight End, 1965-1977.

Jerry Smith... looks like Sonny's about to hit him in stride... as usual...

He was drafted in the 9th round of the 1965 NFL Draft. He turned into Jurgensen’s go to receiver. When Jurgensen needed a first down, he looked for Jerry Smith, who was the model for using the Tight End as a devastating offensive receiving weapon. Teamed with Bobby Mitchell, and Charley Taylor, he contributed heavily to the most prolific pass offense of the late 60’s and early 70’s. His career included 60 touchdowns, which at the time of his retirement, was a record for tight ends. He had 5496 yards receiving, and an average of 13.1 ypc. Nothing to sneeze at, but in 1977, that was HUGE. Smith was adept at turning a short reception into a big gain. It was many years before his achievements were surpassed. He died prematurely, at the age of 43, of HIV. His stats and career should have made him a shoo in for the Hall of Fame…

Pat Fischer, Cornerback, 1968-1977.

That's 170 Lbs of Fischer upending the 225 lb MacArthur Lane of the Chiefs in the open field.

“The Mouse” was one of the most feared cornerbacks of his day. Bump and run was his forte, and related to a vicious, physical style of play that absolutely belied his small stature. Receivers respected him, and did what they could to avoid him in coverage. Like Larry Brown, Pat Fischer put everything he had into his game. He was known as a punishing tackler, despite his size. In my opinion, Pat Fischer was every inch the equal of Roger Werhli, who was selected to the Hall 2 years ago. Rules that outlawed Bump and Run coverage were created largely because Fischer was so effective in using the technique. You might say, he changed the game. Fischer was a 3 time Pro Bowl selection. Pat Fischer needs to be in the Hall of Fame.

Chris Hanburger, OLB, 1965-1978.

Chris Hanburger, on the Weak Side...

Speed, grace and a devastating tackler. Hanburger was everywhere on defense. He was selected to the Pro Bowl NINE times during his career… NINE!. No Redskins player has ever equaled that. To opponents, he was known as “the Hangman”, because of his penchant for the use of clothesline tackles. He was a First Team All Pro 4 times. Between 1966 and 1976, 1971 was the only year in which he did not receive recognition as either a Pro-Bowler or an All Conference selection. His absence from the Hall of Fame is a complete mystery.

What are we gonna do about it?

HTTR

“Forty men together can’t lose!”

- George Allen, December 31st, 1972, pumping the team up before the NFC Championship Game.

When Allen arrived on the scene in 1971, one of the things he knew was that, as much as the fans may have hated it, the route to championships required that we develop the ability to dominate the Dallas Cowboys. He was the perfect man for the job… and the Cowboy’s arrogance and milquetoast team personna, represented by the always perfect demeanor of Tom Landry, and the super clean cut presentation of Roger Staubach, provided the perfect foil for Allen’s blue collar, down and dirty, every man approach.

“Die you dogs. Die you Dallas dogs.”
- Sam Wyche (a Redskins back-up QB at the time)

Allen was part coach… part psychologist… and all genius. He knew how to convert every ounce of potential in a player into performance on the field. He knew how to make his team HATE Dallas… and immediately went to work, creating his version of the men in black hats… the Dallas Cowboys… and turning them into the demons of the NFC East. Some players were convinced that Tom Landry had been, in an earlier life, a serial killer. Tex Schram was, in many Redskin minds, the very image of evil. Allen was indeed, a master motivator, who could whip his team into a frenzy… his teams invariably played over their heads as a result. They were on a mission.

“Losing to Dallas was the worst feeling in the world. You’d rather have your arm cut off.”
-Diron Talbert

The Over the Hill Gang: from left, Mo Pottios, Ron McDole, Richie Petitbon, Diron Talbert and Jack Pardee

According to John Wilbur, who came to the Redskins as part of the “Ramskins” deal from LA (and whom, ironically, played for Dallas from 1966-1969) “George Allen never used to say ‘the Dallas Cowboys’. It was always ‘the goddamned Dallas Cowboys”. It’s the Cowboys’ uniform. It strikes hate and loathing in my mind, almost in a Pavlovian sense.”

“If you came out of the (Dallas) game and you weren’t bleeding, you hadn’t played.”
- Ken Houston

Allen used his pulpit to bait the ever cool, never-rattled, Roger Staubach. Nothing EVER bothered Staubach. Nothing EVER disturbed his focus. He could not be perturbed. He was “the ice man.” Unfortunately for Roger, no one told Allen… and no one told Diron Talbert, who, ultimately, was key to destroying the Cowboys.

“I picked him up and pushed him back… It wasn’t a smooth play, it was a desperation play. It was such an eerie feeling when it happened. There wasn’t any noise in the stadium for maybe three seconds. All of a sudden… the place went crazy. I had never seen anything like it.”
-Ken Houston, on stopping Walt Garrison in the final seconds of the classic Monday Night Football game in October, 1973

Allen baited Staubach. He coached Talbert, who baited Staubach, and relished that role. Taunted him without end. Talbert’s existence seemed focused on messing with the Cowboys quarterback, without end. Whenever possible, there was a threat… or a belittlement… or an attempt to embarrass… or intimidate… “I want Staubach in the shotgun.” Talbert insisted. Allen didn’t have to push Talbert very hard. Diron arrived in Washington already not caring very much for Staubach, as Roger had taken offense to a post season comment by Talbert. Ron McDole (the Dancing Bear), when asked his impression of Roger Staubach, said “Roger Staubach can’t read defenses, and wears skirts.
Challenging Staubach’s manhood became part of the Redskins repertoire…

“We don’t like them, they don’t like us.”
- Roger Staubach

The Cowboys responded. They got angry… and, on occasion, completely lost their cool… Playing the Redskins became torture for them, which was exactly what Allen wanted. According to Walt Garrison, the Cowboys coaching staff became concerned that there were Redskins scouts spying on every practice… (on the other hand, Coach Allen was convinced that there were spies all over the place at his practices, as well).

“Yeah, but only after he went for my knees three times.”
-Jack Pardee, after being accused of trying to knee Dallas receiver Lance Alworth in the head.

The culmination was Roger Staubach’s only personal foul penalty of his career. Following an interception of his pass by Pat Fischer, Staubach tried chasing him down, catching up to the Redskins cornerback only after he stepped out of bounds… and promptly gave him a shot. Others there were convinced that he hit Fischer, but he really wanted to find Talbert.

George Allen figured that the way to win the NFC East was to always beat the Cowboys.
It was fortunate that… he really didn’t like them…

“Tom Landry, hahahaha. Tex Schram, hahhaha. Roger Staubach, hahahha.“
-George Allen to a television camera, after beating Dallas in Texas Stadium in 1976.

George Allen gave birth to decades of the greatest football rivalry on earth… as quotes from subsequent years attest…

“My front four will be faced with the task of beating the “sweat-hogs”. It’s my belief that to be a defensive lineman, you have to have a personal hate for your opponent.”
- Ernie Stautner, defensive coordinator, Dallas

“We’re standing there for the national anthem. When it’s over, Joe (Bugel) looks over to the other sideline at Ernie Stautner, who’s the Cowboys defensive line coach. Joe yells over to him and flips him off.”
-Joe Jacoby

“Be sure… you learn how to get to the airport, will you?”
- Tom Landry, Head Coach, Dallas, to his players prior to the 1982 NFC Championship game

“Joe Theismann is a garbage-mouth little SOB. He’s such a hot dog that all he needs is a bun.”
-John Dutton

“I got to the line, and I said to Randy White, ‘Our coaches love you. We’re going to run it over you again and again.’ Randy wasn’t very happy, but after three or four times, he didn’t say a word.”
-Jeff Bostic

“If you grow up in metro Washington, you grow up a diehard Redskins fan. But if you hate your parents, you grow up a Cowboys fan.”
-Jim Lachey

“I wanted to just… put his lights out ….because, you know, …Dallas sucks…”
- Dexter Manley, referring to Danny White whom he knocked out of the first half of the 1982 NFC Championship game.

What a legacy!

HTTR

I suspected it was going to be busy, so I got to the restaurant early. First thing I noticed was that there were TV’s everywhere. Each showing something different. Each TV had something different on it from ESPN to Tennis to basketball, just all kinds of sports. You would expect in such an environment that there would be a cacophony of noise from the many TV’s, but none of them had the volume turned up.

Instead, they had a wireless box at each table where you could select which TV you wanted to listen to, and adjust the volume yourself. I know this may be “old news” to the many of you who have been to one, but to me it was new, and I thought it was cool.

So, since I was there early, I ordered dinner. I had the center cut sirloin, and the redskin potatoes (I’m a sucker for anything “Redskins”). The food was excellent! Later in the evening I ordered the Buffalo Chicken dip with tortilla chips and it lasted all of about 5 seconds. My server was on top of things as well. My beer may have gotten low a few times, but he never left me without or wanting.

The Caps’ fans began pouring in around 6pm, and I noticed the most popular jersey was Nicklas Backstrom’s. I know they are called “sweaters” (to you hockey purists out there) but I haven’t grown accustomed to calling them that yet. A sweater is something grandma gives you for Christmas with little reindeer on them that you wear once (usually on Christmas so she can get a picture of you in it) and never wear again.

The environment was very family friendly, and I loved seeing four year olds wandering around with their little Ovechkin jerseys. I think I even saw a six-year old with a Varlamov jersey; Mom and Dad are raising him right! Slapshot was a big hit with the kids as he posed for pictures, signed autographs and acted silly for the kids (in one instance he posed for a pic with two little girls and “accidently” covered their faces with his hands).

The Caps gave everyone a complimentary red plastic cup with the team logo on it; inside was a single raffle ticket. Throughout the night they would draw for prizes such as autographed pucks and sticks and gift certificates from Glory Days Grill. I was one number away from winning a puck autographed by Coach Boudreau, a Glory Days T-shirt and a $10 gift card. The gentleman across the aisle from me won a stick signed by Alex Ovechkin. A guy behind me won a Mike Green signed puck, and the guy across from him won a puck signed by Alex Semin. (though I didn’t “win” anything, it wasn’t a total loss; my wife had bought me Mass Effect 2 for the Xbox 360, and had it waiting as a surprise for me when I got home).

As the game started, the restaurant turned up the house volume for the projector screen, the cowbells began ringing and the familiar cheer of “C! A! P! S! CAPS! CAPS! CAPS!” began to fill the restaurant. When Brendan Morrison scored the game’s first goal 65 seconds into the contest the place went nuts! I can’t accurately describe what it was like to be there other than to say it was only second to being at the game itself. When the Caps scored (which they did often in their 7-2 thrashing of New York) I could barely hear myself yelling over the noise of everyone else doing the same!

For a full list of the Caps’ upcoming “Away Parties” you can click here and trust me when I say you won’t regret going! The Glory Days Grill in Gainesville has invited all Caps fans out for the Caps’ game versus Pittsburgh on February 7^th, where you can watch the game and stick around for their Super Bowl festivities!

For more info on Glory Days Grill in Gainesville, you can click here.

Here’s a few things to start off with. Did you know that the Caps have scored four or more goals in all but two of their eleven games this month? The Caps faced down Detroit (who even though banged up is always a dangerous opponent), Pittsburgh, and Phoenix. The Caps scored 13 goals in those three games. They were also 38% on the power play scoring 5 PPG’s on 13 attempts. More impressive, the Caps were flawless on the power-play this week allowing no power-play goals. That’s 0-15 for the Caps’ opponents in the past three games.

The Caps outscored their opponents this week by a combined score of 13-7. These teams didn’t just lay over for the Caps, as the Caps’ goal-tenders faced an average of 38 shots per game. I don’t know what it is about the Caps’ bench, but both of their goal-tenders have had a taste of it here recently, and their game seems to have improved as a result. The Caps’ combined goaltending this week was 3-0-0 stopping 107 of 114 total shots with a .938 Save % and a 2.33 Goals-Against Average (GAA).

Jose Theodore has had the hot hand this month, but even so, he still managed to dig deep and come up with two impressive games, and a dozen highlight-reel stops versus Detroit and Pittsburgh. Michal Neuvirth seems to have finally shaken off the demons from his bad game in Tampa and put up an impressive win over Phoenix.

Ovechkin may have had a rare “pointless” game versus Detroit, but he shined where Caps fans wanted it most; versus Pittsburgh. Especially after Penguins’ pseudo-star Sidney Crosby got a garbage goal on a broken play to give the Eskimo-Chickens the lead, Alex responded with two goals and an assist. I personally would have loved seeing Ovechkin get the hat-trick because if you thought Sadly Crieslikababy was upset about the hats in Verizon Center in game two last year, he’d have been suicidal about hats raining down from his own rafters.

So, what are the Caps doing differently? Well, the Caps penalty kill stat gives us the first clue. The Caps have changed their mindset in the defensive-zone. The Caps used to play more of a collapsing umbrella style of defense which was focused more on taking away the shooting lanes and forcing attackers to the outside. Now the Caps have gone to more of a box-style of defense where they keep the goalies’ sight-lines clear and can play more aggressive on the outsides. In essence, they are taking away the passing lanes and trusting their net-minders to make the stops.

This allows the Caps to chase down the puck-carrier into the boards and pinch him in so that he has to shoot, or risk turning the puck over.

The Caps are also playing more aggressive in the attacking zone with a focus more on setting up plays than taking the quick shot and getting back to play D. They try to get the puck in deep, and then feed the puck back to their waiting defenders at the point. Now the defender can go point to point across the ice. Dump the puck back into the corners or activate themselves and charge the net. This system doesn’t rely on Alex Ovechkin to make the play every night, and instead has allowed a lot of Caps’ players to flourish; such as Eric Fehr.

Fehr had 15 goals in his first 113 games; he has had 14 in his last 36. Nicklas Backstrom has long been known as Ovechkin’s “set-up man” and has had consistently high numbers of assists; he is on pace to score 30 goals this season. Nearly half the Capitals’ bench has double digits in goals.

So, we now know how the Caps’ did this week, so where do they stand?

The Caps are:

1^st in the Southeast Division with 72 points; 19 points ahead of Florida in second place.

1^st in the Eastern Conference; 3 points ahead of New Jersey in second place.

3^rd in the League overall; 6 points behind San Jose in first, and 2 points behind Chicago.

1^st in average Goals per Game with 3.74; San Jose is second with 3.28.

1^st in Power Play Scoring % with 26.0; Montreal is second with 24.7.

1^st in win % when the opponent scores first (.579); New Jersey is second with .500

Coming Up:

The Caps are busy this week with four games. The first comes tonight as the Caps play their only away-game for the week in New York versus the Islanders. The come home tomorrow to face off against the Anaheim Ducks, and then they welcome two division rivals to Verizon Center as they take on the Florida Panthers on Friday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.

If the Caps pull off a win tonight, it will be the third straight season the Caps have had a seven game win-streak. Prior to Boudreau’s arrival the Caps went 13 seasons without winning as many as seven games in a row.

Want to join other Caps’ fans for a “Road Viewing Party”? Then you’ll want to check out Glory Days Grill in Gainesville (7581 Somerset Crossing Drive, Gainesville, VA 20155) for the Official Caps Viewing Party. There will be giveaways, premium raffle items as well as food and drink specials. Tonight’s game versus the Islanders will be on as many as 6 big screens! Happy hour runs from 4-7pm leading up to the game and at 9pm there will be $5 Appetizers. You won’t want to miss Slapshot and your fellow Red-Rockers for this party! Who knows, you might even see me there!

C-A-P-S!! Caps! Caps! Caps!

Let’s Go Caps!

Enter Dan Snyder.

To quote Ken Harvey during a conversation we had about his trip to Haiti:

“With Diageo, one of the things they try to do is be a first responder to critical situations, and so from what I know they immediately wanted to get out there and one of the things they thought about was how to get down there. Mr. Snyder graciously lent them his plane for the time needed to do that. You know, I’m like everyone else that has to talk about the team and report different things, and you have certain views that, I guess you see certain things like this, him giving his plane for that reason, it puts more of a human face on it and you realize that at the end of the day, the game is a football game, it’s a business, but that’s real life, and that somebody cared enough to make a difference because anything done is something that can make a difference.”

The team’s obviously been working on their passing, and shooting accuracy, but more importantly, they are starting to trust each other again. We aren’t seeing as many occasions where guys are bumping into each other, or passing the puck to vacant spaces. They have their confidence back. Lets get to the recap.

Tuesday, January 5^th 2010, vs. Montreal – After losing the past three straight, the Caps bounced back with a much needed win in front of the Verizon faithful. The Caps came out pretty tentative and skated to a 0-0 tie with the Canadiens at the end of the first period. It would be Thomas Flieschmann who would get the first goal of the game in the second. Later in the second, if you got up for a bathroom break at the wrong time, you might have left a 1-0 game only to return and find that the Caps were up 3-1. There were three goals scored in a little over two minutes (one for Montreal, and two for the Caps). Montreal would narrow the Caps lead to 1 with a goal in the third, but it was Alex Semin with his second goal of the night that would give the Caps the insurance marker and a much needed victory on home ice 4-2.

One streak still continues – Washington’s three game losing skid ended many of the Caps’ scoring streaks, but the Caps have yet to lose three straight games in regulation under Coach Bruce Boudreau in his 185 games as the bench boss.

Like buttah – Thomas Flieschmann played his first game as a center for the Washington Capitals. How’d it go? One goal, two assists, a +2 rating and he was 67% on face-offs.

Thursday, January 7^th, 2010 vs. Ottawa – Jose Theodore was let out of the dog-house Thursday night to face a team with one of the worst road records in the NHL. The Caps are often known for “playing down” to their opponents, but on this night they took the lead early and ran with it. After scoring two goals in the first period, the Caps lead looked a little shaky late in the second as Ottawa closed to within a goal to end the second period. It was Nicklas Backstrom who not only got the Caps their two-goal lead back, but also gave them a three point advantage in the third period. Ovechkin would score one late in the third to make it a four goal lead, but Ottawa would get one more in the waning seconds of the third and the Caps would hold on for a 5-2 win.

I’ll have what he’s having – Nicklas Backstrom has been a regular set up man for Alex Ovechkin and has tallied over 50 assists in both of his first two years. He seems to be on track to not only make it a three-peat, but at his current rate, he may score more than 30 goals this season!

Off the chain – Caps’ netminder Jose Theodore has been stewing on the bench, unhappy to see his job go to AHL Call-Up Michal Neuvirth. This game was not only a brief rest for Nuevirth, but a show of confidence for Theodore who had not beaten the Senators since October 19^th, 2006. Granted, the Sens have a horrific road record, and Theodore doesn’t see them very often (even though it’s been years since he last beat them, he’d only lost to them twice during that time), still, when the coach throws you a bone, you take it a run, right?

Saturday, January 9^th, 2009 at Atlanta – Atlanta was coming into this game after only just recently snapping a nine-game losing streak. The Caps were flying high after a 5-2 victory over Ottawa. The two previous meetings between these teams were decided by a single goal, and the mix seemed just about right for this to be just as close. I figured the Caps would win, and told a friend of mine I predicted a 4-3 OT win. I was forced to rethink that prediction when it was 4-0 less than five minutes into the second period. I won’t get too much into the uglier details for Atlanta fans, but the Caps would score four goals on two different goaltenders, and roll to an easy 8-1 win.

Maybe Atlanta’s coach needs to switch to Pepto – Atlanta was certainly feeling some heartburn finding themselves down 4-0 less than halfway through the game. It may be possible that he was asking for “Prilosec” instead of “Pavelec”, but in any case, the goalies were switched, and the scoring continued.

Be careful what you wish for – Bruce Boudreau turned 55 Saturday night. It would seem that several Caps’ players had the same idea on what to get him for his birthday!

I’m out of time this week, so I’ve got to cut the recap a little short. I’m glad to see the Caps’ have turned things around, and just in time too, as they face a string of divisional opponents! They seem to have righted the ship, now it’s just a matter of staying the course!

Go Caps!

Does anybody even believe it anymore when there’s a press release saying that teams have complied with the rule? Or do you just slough it off as though the team obviously found a way to make it look like they did? Teams are circumventing the Rooney Rule by interviewing in-house staff before positions are open; teams are allegedly ‘faking’ the interview process when they already have a candidate in mind.

Is it because the rule is ridiculous?

Is it because organizations just want to hire who they think the best person for the job is and not worry about semantics?

When forced to deal with the semantics, they jump around it and do it anyway. So what good is the rule?

Does it make the NFL look better? I guess.

Does it make it look like they earnestly want to give minorities better opportunities?

Not really. Not when the bulk of the media coverage about the Rooney Rule is basically describing what a waste of time it is.

I’d be curious to know what the Fritz Pollard Alliance get paid for their troubles before I decide whether or not they are acting in good faith. Seems to me that they could easily be just another part of the problem, but I’m reserving judgment for when I have more pieces of the puzzle.

For the record, John Wooten of Fritz Pollard has stated emphatically that the Redskins were in compliance of the rule when they hired Mike Shanahan. According to Redskins Insider, Wooten even went so far as to defend Dan Snyder with a little extra gusto, “I told Jerry (Gray) that Dan Snyder went about it the right way. He called the commissioner and the commissioner called me. The thing that bothered me with Jerry is he didn’t stand up and say, `Dan Snyder came to me and asked me would I be interested in being coach of the Redskins?’ ”

What do you think – is it the Rooney Rule or should it be called the Rooney Ruse?

In this case, I took a particular interest in the fact that a man in the NFL is representing my hometown of Mayo, Maryland.

A current member of the New York Giants practice squad, offensive tackle Jacob Bender, grew up in Mayo with the hopes and the means to make it into the NFL. As a young man, Bender played for the Edgewater Blue Devils, the local youth league team that I grew up playing for as well.

In high school, Bender chose to go to DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, as opposed our local public school, South River High School, which is in Edgewater. That move paid off for Bender, considering the only modern football player of note to attend South River was John Kaleo, who had an illustrious career as a quarterback at the University of Maryland and the Arena Football League. DeMatha currently has more alumni in the NFL than any other high school in the country, with Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook being the most notable.

After graduating from DeMatha, Bender chose to attend Nichols State in Louisiana, where he started 31 of 43 games and earned All-America and All-Southland Conference honors as a senior.

Bender at Nicholls State

In April of 2007, Bender’s NFL dreams had come true after being drafted by the New York Jets in the sixth round. That season, Bender was inactive for 14 games but appeared in six special teams plays in the two games he was activated. After the 2008 preseason, he was waived by the Jets but was snatched up by the New England Patriots the next day and was put on their practice squad.

Bender as a Jet

In November of that year, the San Francisco 49ers signed Bender away from the Patriots and onto their active roster. Bender stayed in San Francisco until the conclusion of this past training camp, which led him to signing with the Giants in mid-September.

Bender as a member of the 49ers

Although Bender is on an NFL team that is on my bottom-five list that I’d like to see a Mayo representative employed by, it still gives me great satisfaction to see our hometown actively being represented in what is, in my opinion, the greatest sports showcase of all.

Since the Redskins were playing the Giants this week, I talked to Bender this weekend about several topics, including his connections to several Redskins players, how he made it from Mayo to the NFL and what lies ahead for his NFL future, among other topics.

Below is a transcript of the interview.

Time Disclaimer: The questions were asked over the weekend and were answered on Monday night, hence the reference to the game in future tense.

THN: Describe your path from growing up in Mayo to being drafted by the New York Jets in 2007 to sticking around with the Giants now.

JB: It has been a long and challenging, yet extremely fun, journey from little Mayo all the way to the “Big City.” I am very thankful to God and blessed to have an opportunity as I do to play in the NFL. I have bounced around a few teams, but I am determined and [am] working my tail off every chance I get to earn a spot back on an active roster in the NFL.

THN: When you were playing for our local pop warner football team, the Edgewater Blue Devils as a young man, did you ever think it would lead to a career in the NFL?

JB: I played for the Blue Devils back when I was 120 lbs. [It] was the first time I stepped out under a blue uniform. Back then it was more about having fun and doing well in school so that I would be allowed to play ball then it was me making it to the NFL. However, it has always been a dream of mine to play in the League since I could remember.

THN: Who and what do you give credit to for your ability to make it to the NFL?

JB: I give credit to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for pulling me and giving me strength to make it to the position I am in now. It has not at all been an easy ride and I didn’t just miraculously make it to the NFL, though. I worked extremely hard and made some big sacrifices, (although not so much a sacrifice when you consider the reward).

THN: Even though your brother went to South River High School like I did, you chose to go to DeMatha. What was behind that decision and how were you able to do it every day?

JB: DeMatha was a decision that my entire family helped with. The traveling arrangements and all those long commutes in that metropolitan traffic were tough but we managed to get it done.

THN: How does it feel to be the only Mayo native in the NFL? Do you feel a different type of pride being in the NFL given you’re from an area that no one else in the league is from?

JB: It feels great to be in the NFL. The fact that I am from Mayo just adds some sweetness to the whole deal. I feel a great deal of pride to be representing Mayo in the NFL. There are only about 1,700 players in the whole league, so wherever you are from, there are not too many others of your neighbors in the league with you.

THN: Does having former teammates Kareem Moore (Nicholls State) and Byron Westbrook (DeMatha High School) on the Redskins give the Redskins-Giants games a little more meaning to you?

JB: Kareem and Byron are good friends of mine. I graduated and played high school football with Byron and still workout with him and other players from around the area with Mac James from Athletic Dominance out of Bowie Sport Fit Club. I shared a conference championship with “K-Mo” in 2005 when we won the Southland Conference Championship, so this game does have a little bit of a personal hint to it. Giants-Redskins is a huge game in itself already, not to mention the playoffs.

THN: Even though practice squad players don’t travel with the team on road trips, will you still make it down to Maryland and watch the Monday night game with your family considering the majority of them grew up Redskins fans?

JB: I won’t be making the trip to Washington this week. My family will root for my team even though they have been Redskins fans since I was a young boy. It’s a no-brainer if you asked anyone in my family who they would root for when my team is playing.

THN: The Giants started out strong at 5-0 this season and were considered by many the front runners for the NFC East title and were even labeled the best team in the NFC. But since then, the team has slid to a 7-6 record. What has been behind the team’s recent and surprising struggles?

JB: We did get off to a great start at 5-0, then lost a number of games, but sometimes things like this happen in the NFL. No, we are not ok with losing all those games, nor are we gonna accept the way of a losing team. We are a tough bunch of guys and will fight our way throughout the season and hopefully into the post season.

THN: Coach Coughlin made a surprising move by demoting defensive end Osi Umenyiora two weeks ago. How has that changed Osi’s mentality about the game and did that move send a message throughout the team?

JB: I’m not sure how Osi was affected by the decisions that were made by the coaches. You would have to talk to Osi to get that answer.

THN: What are your prospects for returning to the Giants next season? Have they expressed an interest in bringing you back?

JB: My plans are to finish out the year as strong as I can and improve my abilities as much as possible going into the offseason. As far as me returning or not, my agent will handle that, although I would be greatly appreciative to have a chance to earn a spot on the Giants Roster. I would like to stay a Giant and only time will tell.

Yeah, you would expect a drop-off in production, but the Caps seem to play pretty good in the absence of Alex Ovechkin. They won four out of the six games he missed. He returned this week and they have lost two out of the three games he played in since his return.

Now this isn’t an indictment against Ovie; He scored a goal in two of those three games. His teammates however have not played as well since his return.

My thought process is that these guys knew they were going to have to “carry the load” without Ovechkin, but now that he’s back, “we can relax a little bit.”

I think there may be a mindset among players that when their superstar returns, things are going to be easy. They won’t have to try as hard because they got the league MVP back. This past week seems to illustrate my point. The Rangers game last Tuesday was the toughest game on the Caps schedule last week. They were in New York, and the Rangers always play tough versus the Caps. They went into MSG and beat the Rangers.

This weekend however, they were at home versus a struggling Canadiens team, and then on the road versus a Leafs team that had only won three other games this season. The Caps lost to both.

Now I know they have enough players injured that it accounts for roughly a third of their bench roster, but c’mon, our back-ups aren’t exactly chopped liver. They can play well; they just didn’t.

I’m hoping that losing to the Leafs is a wake-up call to those who thought they could come out and just “go through the motions” and leave it up to Ovechkin to win it for them.

And with that, let’s get to some recapping.

Tuesday, November 17^th, @ New York Rangers – With the Caps down 1-0 to New York, it was Matt Bradley who gave the team the spark it was looking for when he took on Aaron Voros of New York (see the fight here at Hockeyfights.com – http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/88826). It was a rare fight for the Capitals since they jettisoned Donald Brashear in the offseason and it was certainly one of their bloodiest of the season. Many can argue whether Bradley “won” the fight, but it was Bradley’s goal late in the third period that was the game-winner as the Caps rolled past New York 4-2.

“Ouch” just doesn’t do it justice – Quintin Laing is known to give up his body for the shot-block, but when he dropped to block a shot from Michal Roszival, he managed to catch the puck with the left side of his face. The full force of Roszival’s slapshot broke Laing’s jaw and he will miss several weeks while he drinks his meals through a straw.

Hardhat Honors – After each game, the players give a red hardhat to the player who they felt worked the hardest in the game. This night the Caps had to choose between Laing who broke his jaw blocking a shot, and Bradley who though bloodied by a fight and stitched up scored the game-winning goal. The Caps elected Brads, and he deferred to Laing.

Friday, November 20^th, vs. Montreal Canadiens – I’m still scratching my head about why Coach Boudreau elected to rest goal-tender Semyon Varlamov for this game. I might understand if he was putting in Jose Theodore, but Theo was gone with a family emergency and the Caps had just called up Michal Neuvirth to replace him. Neuvirth got the start. Now I’m not pinning this loss solely on Neuvirth, because the Caps in general played like they really didn’t respect the Canandiens. There was no sense of urgency as they let the game slip away. By the time the Caps did start skating like the game was on the line, they were down 3-1 late in the third. They lost 3-2.

Introducing; John Carlson – With their first pick of the 2008 NHL entry draft, the Washington Capitals selected defenseman John Carlson. With his proud mom in attendance Carlson did not play like a baby-faced rookie but like an NHL vet, even ringing a shot off the post. Don’t worry, Mom, he’ll get his first NHL goal soon enough.

Saturday, November 21^st, @ Toronto Maple Leafs – Now ordinarily, I include stats and fun facts after a recap of each game. Not this time. The Caps played miserably MISERABLY against this Leafs team. They didn’t skate, and to make up for it, they didn’t pass well either. It seemed like nearly every pass was either too far ahead, or just behind the player they were aiming for. These either lead to turnovers in the neutral zone, or would throw the players offsides. Were it not for the inspired play of Semyon Varlamov, the Caps would have lost this game early in regulation. They carried a 1-1 tie into the shootout, and failed to register a single goal. It was the worst performance I’ve seen from the Caps in as long as I can remember. Caps lose 2-1 in the shootout.

Where are we? – The Caps gained three out of a possible six points last week. They are:

13-5-5 (31 points)

1st in Southeast Division – Caps 31 points, Tampa Bay is 2^nd with 25

1st in Eastern Conference – Caps 31 points, Pittsburgh is 2^nd with 30

3rd in the League Overall – San Jose is first with 36, followed by Chicago with 32, Caps with 31 and Pittsburgh with 30

Coming Up – The Caps continue their tour of the Northeast division starting tonight as they stay in Canada and face the Ottawa Senators (11-6-3, 15^th in the league). They come home Wednesday to face Buffalo (12-6-2, 11^th in the league), and return to Canada on Saturday for a rematch versus Montreal (11-11-1, 22^nd in the league).

The Caps need to wake up and play a better game tonight or it’s going to be a long flight home with a very unhappy Coach Boudreau…

C-A-P-S Caps! Caps! Caps!