Capital Flop

With all the anticipation coming into the day, the Caps wind up doing absolutely nothing. GMGM may have been burning up the phone lines, but by 3pm no deals were made. That isn't even the worst news of the day..Nicky Backstrom was moved to LTIR making him unavailable until the Playoffs begin (at the earliest).

With questions about the health of Backstrom, George McPhee seemed like he didn't want to mortgage the future on the current squad that HE assembled over the past couple seasons. To me, McPhee may have just signed his death warrant. Veterans Roman Hamrlik & Mike Knuble clearly are not happy to be here, and I can see this being a huge locker room issue with Dale Hunter the rest of the season.

The caps had several expiring contracts on the table and somehow Georgey Boy couldn't land one trade?!? In my eyes Vokoun, Semin, Carlson, Wideman, and the players mentioned above should've all been on the line. I think McPhee's ego gets in the way this time of year, and he is never willing to trade away his "young guns". It's a good formula for a losing organization.

If the Caps are lucky enough to make the Playoffs, I can't see them getting anywhere past the 1st Round. As teams like the NY Rangers, Nashville Predators, & Vancouver Canucks got bigger, and stronger..we remain with the same team that got their coach fired, has been underachieving, and is close to setting the franchise into a tailspin.

With all that being said, I'll still be excited to watch the rest of the season and hopefully the Playoffs, but I feel like I've seen this movie before..and it doesn't end with the Andre bath that we all are hoping for.

Fight on Caps fans!

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Bedside Tissues

By the title of this article I could go a number of ways with this blog. Fortunately for 99% of you, I'll keep it clean...ish.  I watched the Wizards last night, and once again went to bed in a bad mood. It's been a common theme over the years to end the day on a bad note. But I never thought it'd get to this point.

The Skins are throwing out dreams of Peyton Manning being our next QB.
The Caps are struggling not only to find an identity, but to just make the playoffs.
The Nationals are about to introduce the "Most Hated Athlete in DC" as one of their franchise cornerstones.
The Orioles...just suck.
And the Wizards look like they're staying the course...which in this case leads right back to the starting line.

I feel like I complain more than the average DMV fan...and I'm OK with that. What I'm not OK with is having to refill my bedside tissue box on a weekly basis, & falling asleep to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'".

Until next time fans...FIGHT ON!

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CapKillers

It's no secret that Alex Semin and his hefty $6.7million contract has been on the trading block for awhile now. Not surprisingly, his trade value right now is about a -100. He's in the last year of his contract, so first tbought would be to trade him to a team looking for a playoff push...buuut it's not happening with that contract.

The current Caps roster is anything but a championship caliber squad. Will they make the playoffs? I have no doubt, but if you believe they'll make it very far..you're just not very smart. This team was hand-picked for Boudreau's system. They're a run & gun type team who occasionlly plays lock down defense. Dale Hunter is doing his best to implement his system..but the players just don't fit the mold. I wish it were different, but I can see this unfolding very quickly come April or May.

The trade deadline is February 27th, and I would hate to see GMGM wait until then to scramble for a deal. You give up way more when your back is against the wall, and I dont think it gives you enough time to gel as a team (i.e. Jason Arnott). There are 36 games left in the season and a change needs to be made now!

This team is anything but consistant & I want nothing more than to see this team go far into May & June. But it ain't happenin with these guys. With virtually no cap space, a decent trade is hard to come by.

Here's my scenario for you to ponder:

Caps Trade:
-John Carlson (2012 RFA)
-Alex Semin (2012 UFA)
-Jeff Schultz (2014 UFA)

Edmonton Oilers Trade:
-Ryan Smyth (2012 UFA)
-Andy Sutton (2013 UFA)
-3rd Round Draft Pick

The Caps finally rid themselves of Semin & Schultz' large contracts. The only downside is giving away a young prospering talent like Carlson. But if Ted Leonsis & GMGM are serious about making a run this year..this is a trade that could do it for you!

Yes, Smyth & Sutton are both 35+, and yes, Smyth can walk away after this year. But these are the type of players that Hunter can coach, and they're tough gritty veterans that this team has SERIOUSLY been lacking for a few years now. Ryan Smyth also has a "no movement clause" in his contract, but I'm pretty certain he would accpet a trade to give him another shot at the Cup before he retires. The Oilers can take on these contracts and still stay under the salary cap, while the Caps should have almost $2million more to spend maybe come late February.

I can see many fans wondering where our scoring will come from now that Semin is gone...well folks, he only has 11 goals this year through 46 games. And we all know he disappears come playoff time. Didn't Georgey boy go out and get Joel Ward for our playoff scoring punch anyway?? If you don't understand my humor...THAT WAS A JOKE.

In all seriousness though, my hope is that the Caps have already thought of this trade & it's in the works of actually happening. Here are the line-ups that would come of this trade:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Smyth
Brouwer-Johansson-Knuble
Chimera-Laich-Ward
Hendricks-Halpern-Beagle

Green-Hamrlik
Wideman-Alzner
Orlov-Sutton

I really think this line-up is playoff tested, and could really make a difference! What do you all think??

Fight On Caps!

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NATIONAL ALERT: Don't Become the Next UNC Walk-on

Dear future North Carolina basketball walk-ons,

I know playing for a Division I University with a storied hardwood history such as UNC  is very enticing. Especially for 18 or 19 year old kids. But please think about your options before trying out for the mighty Tar Heels.

After witnessing what took place last week between UNC & Florida State I couldn't help but get a little pissed off when thinking about the 5 young men that not only the rest of the team left hanging, but also their "almighty" coach Roy Williams left them to get trampled on by over 7,000 FSU students & fans.

After the game Williams was quoted saying that he was worried about his female team managers getting knocked down again. Yet you take all but 5 players back to the locker room before the game ends? This display by Roy Williams & UNC was nothing short of an embarrassment to not only the team but the whole University.

If I were one of those 5 players left to fend for myself while the rest of my teammates were chilling in the locker room with my "Hall of Fame" coach...I would've picked up my stuff and walked right out on them. They showed you their lack of respect for you not only as a basketball player, but also for your well-being. How can a coach be more worried about himself getting hurt than his walk-ons who bust their asses everyday in practice?

So, in conclusion, to you future college bench-warmers, try coming to a real team & University like Maryland. We don't walk out on each other in a team game. And Coach Turgeon damn sure wouldn't turn his back on you, & start running for the tunnel while you try to fight off an entire gym full of crazy ass fans.

Sincerely,

FightOnDMV

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Setting the Tone

Speculation has been flying around over the past week about what the Caps will do to Rene Bourque when he faces Washington for the first time since sending Nick Backstrom to IR. After the initial incident, the media was all over the team for not standing up for their teammate, not to mention their best player so far this year. You can't let other teams in this league think that you're soft or they'll take advantage of you everytime they play you.

The first names that come to mind when thinking of who will try and fight Bourque are Hendricks, Brouwer, or Chimera. Erskine is out of his weight class, not to mention out of the lineup for the time being. But why should it always be up to these players to stand up for their teammates? Is it part of their job? I guess so. But shouldn't you expect the same thing from dare I say..their Captain???

Alex Ovechkin isn't known around the league for having hammer fists, but when you don the "C" on your jersey you better be ready to do whatever it takes to lead your team. Some may say that Ovi needs to just worry about scoring... I say f*ck that.

Ovechkin needs to be the one to set the tone tonight. Whether it's zeroing in on Rene for huge hit after hit, getting after him after the whistle for the full 60 minutes, or dropping the gloves.

This is what we need, and should come to expect of our Captain no matter who the opponent is.
I'm looking for Ovi to come out targeting more than just the net tonight. And if he shy's away for the most part tonight..then maybe we should start thinking of who should really be "leading" this hockey team.

Fight On Caps!

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Disturbing Wizards Tweets from their Weekend in Philly

Philly just outscored the Wizards 223-179 in back to back wins. Here's what the players have to say...

I can go for a steakRT @jordanchill43: headin to DC today...@Trevor_Booker where we eatin tonite?

— Trevor Booker (@Trevor_Booker) January 15, 2012

Booker, one of my favorite players on the team is looking forward to his steak dinner.

“@H__Strong: That looks wild funRT @JaValeMcGee34: They go hard! twitter.com/JaValeMcGee34/…”right

— Pierre McGee (@JaValeMcGee34) January 15, 2012

Javale McGee is looking at hilarious pictures online.

What's da name of the shoe store in Philly that be selling all them Js.... Sell clothes too? Need help

— Jordan Crawford (@jcraw55) January 13, 2012

Jordan Crawford is trying to expand his wardrobe. I really hope someone was able to help him out...

Gotta work over time if I wanna b better then my idol

— Nick Young (@NickSwagyYoung) December 13, 2011

And there's Nick Young, finally someone saying they need to work harder. But where's the team unity?


John Wall didn't tweet it, but he's carrying the weight of the loss on his back, "I feel like I lost the game." His season high 8 turnovers definitely didn't help, but there are a ton of problems here. This team does not have any foundation to build off. This team needs yet another restart. Lewis, Blatche and maybe even Nick Young need to go. I like Nick Young as a person, but if I'm being honest, he'd be better off playing under a veteran and learning how to win. The Wizards need their own London Fletcher. Until then, they'll keep piling on the losses and as Flip Saunders so deftly stated yesterday, "playing like Space Jam."

Very glad I didn't continue my season ticket contract this year...



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Peyton Madness

With all of the rumors flying around today about Peyton Manning & Jeff Saturday coming to DC in exchange for who even knows, it got me thinking?? Most likely we'd give up about 4 first round draft picks. And I only know one GM dumb enough to do that...where's Vinny C at?! I know he's behind this somehow! Anyways I got pretty much the same reaction from everyone I asked when talking about this trade, "Don't do it! Unless it's a bargain". Which I'm sure it's not, at least not for the Redskins.

I was going to write more to this article..but I found this video on Youtube that I couldn't stop watching. I'm intrigued, but yet weirded out all at the same time. Enjoy...

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Rookie Hazing

I'll be the first to admit that after seeing Dale Hunter & GMGM bring up a young 22-year old defenseman from Hershey who has no NHL experience to play against the hated Pittsburgh Penguins...I was pissed. Mainly because the new guy, Tomas Kundratek, will be starting..over a healthy John Erskine.

For a team that's already lacking the toughness of a playoff team, and who has no real rugged defensmen outside of Erskine..it baffles me that "now" is the time to throw this kid into the fire. He's also starting over Jeff "Pillows" Schultz, but let's be real, does anybody care? Good news out of the locker room today is that Pillows is growing tired of sitting every game, and he may be looking to bolt. Problem is, Georgie Boy signed him to a contract that's paying him $2.75/mil over the next couple seasons. Any takers?? I didn't think so.

Erskine may not be an elite defenseman in the league, but he brings the toughness that every goalie loves having in front of them. He'll clear the crease in a heartbeat, and stick up for his teammates no matter who the opponent is. He called out Aaron Asham for his shot against Beags earlier in the season, and threw some insane haymakers against him in their last meeting.

Even with a couple of the Penguins best players out, they are still capable of putting a whooping on a Caps team that doesn't seem to have the "kill" factor at this junction of the season. How about sitting John Carlson down for a game or two?? He hasn't looked the same all year, and frankly he's playing like he's been hitting the bong before games. Wake up man! Too much talent is being wasted there.

I'm hoping for a gutsy win tonight for the Caps, but my hopes for this game are cautious at best.

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You're Welcome, Flip!

I'm not going to sit here and take all the credit for the Wizards win last night...actually, yes I am. I wrote "Starting Insanity" almost a week ago basically begging for Flip Saunders to input Chris Singleton & Trevor Booker into the starting five.

After losing 2 more games Flip finally came to his senses. My guess is that he & Ernie Grunfeld sat down and read my article together. No need to thank me boys, just don't F*ck it up by putting Rashard Lewis or Andray Blatche back into the lineup tonight vs. Chicago...or EVER! Those 2 bring a scoring punch off the bench, albeit, it was only one game. But Hell, if it's not broke..don't fix it.

Book & Singleton bring that much needed energy right off the bat, and they can basically guard every single player on the court. Loving these young bucks so far! And how about Jan Vesely bringing down the house last night?! Not to mention he led the team with 5 steals. Jimmy Wall facilitated the sh!t out of the offense last night, and our team defense was straight up vicious. I'm still expecting some bumps along the road, but I'd rather it be with this group than with the 22 million $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Rashard Lewis, & Andray Blatche in the starting lineup...yes, that's a dollar sign for each million Lewis is making this year.

Playing the Bulls & playing for the 2nd straight night isn't going to help this (1-8) squad. But look for this starting group to set the tone again, and hopefully we can make a few shots to keep this thing close.

Fight on Wizards!

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Teddy Has Some Decisions to Make

Let's start with hockey. The Caps aren't a winning team. They have shown that all year. Boudreau is gone, Hunter is in, and it's the same result. Inconsistency throughout the team. Mike Green can't stay healthy. Ovechkin can't put up points consistently. Our goaltending is spotty at best. As a team, our shots per game total is plummeting. Something has to change. Coaching wasn't the answer. The core of this team needs to change. The core of Semin, Backstrom and Ovechkin has had their chance. The Caps need energy and they need it fast.
Back to back 5-2 losses out west is flat out embarrassing. Remember 3 years ago when a 3 goal deficit meant nothing? Our team had a confidence that was through the roof and nothing could bring it down. Now, if we're down, you might as well watch the Family Guy marathon on TBS because we're down for good. Ted Leonsis has to make a decision here. He either tells McPhee to make a big change, or he tells McPhee to clean out his office. Things are spiraling quickly and if Leonsis doesn't make a decision soon, it could be too late. His coach lost faith, now his players are losing faith. The fans will be next, it's just a matter of time.

Here you go Mr. Crawford.

Next up is basketball. What in the wide world of sports is going on here? The Wizards are a team with obvious problems. Flip has no control over the team. Blatche is embarrassingly slow and weak. Rashard Lewis flat out told Saunders he doesn't want to play. As for Jordan Crawford? Sorry buddy but remember when you basically said "I am the next Michael Jordan"? You would have been better off bending over and spreading your butt cheeks like Ace Ventura. This is supposed to be the beginning of a new era for DC basketball. Except there is no foundation to build off of, and no one to build it. Ernie Grunfeld, see you later. Flip Saunders, see you later. Ted Leonsis, you need to find someone who knows how to build a basketball team.

In a year where the Redskins underwhelmed everyone, they would very well end up being the least disappointing sports team in DC. Unless a lot of things change.

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