Weekly Rundown: Redskins fall to Giants in opener

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. (And during football season, the links will be pretty Redskins-heavy.) If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• Boswell sums up another disappointing performance by the Redskins' offense: "Essentially, the Redskins' offense didn't arrive in Giants Stadium until there were only three minutes left. So, the Giants built a massive edge in time of possession and had a 350-200 superiority in yards before the Redskins drove 72 yards against a loose defense to score with 1 minute 37 seconds left." [Thomas Boswell]


• What was up with the horrible play-calling yesterday? Was it too much to ask for the offense to open things up yesterday by sticking Jason Campbell in the shotgun for a series or two while the running game wasn't working? [Mike Wise]


• Campbell's late-game pass to Chris Cooley resulted in the offense's only touchdown of the game. [Redskins Insider]


• Brandon Jacobs on LaRon Landry: "The Redskins as a whole is a pretty clean team, they just have one guy over there that was a little salty from 12 months ago. . . . [Landry] just kept at me, you know, hitting me out of bounds, got a stupid penalty, dumb fine that he shouldn't have had. He should have been smarter, you know, but it comes with experience." [D.C. Sports Bog]


• The Redskins missed too many tackles. Seriously, Mario Manningham? [D.C. Sports Bog]


• ESPN's Matt Mosley on the Redskins' quarterback: "Campbell also was upset with himself that he checked into a running play on a third-and-8 in the second half. He said he lost track of how many yards the Redskins needed and that he should have checked into a pass play." Way to stay focused out there. [NFC East Blog]


• The season's underway, but here's Richard Deitsch's 2009 NFL broadcasting guide. [Sports Illustrated]


• Tim Dierkes gives his offseason outlook for the Orioles:
  

  
  For 2010, Wigginton could take either infield corner and Scott could be an option at first base. Brandon Snyder and Michael Aubrey may also merit consideration. The O's added their third baseman of the future in Josh Bell with the George Sherrill trade. With the corners and DH spot in flux next year, it may make sense for the Orioles to add a free agent. Players such as Carlos Delgado, Nick Johnson, and Adrian Beltre are interesting on one-year deals, if the price is right.
  
  The rotation is suddenly deep enough where Uehara is being considered for a bullpen role. Matusz and Tillman are the team's aces of the future, with both getting a look this year. Arrieta isn't far behind. I wouldn't be looking to spend much on a free agent pitcher this winter.
  
  Certain players could be trade bait if Andy MacPhail doesn't consider them part of the next good Orioles club. Scott and Guthrie, both under team control through 2012, jump out as candidates. Guthrie's seen a dip in his strikeout and groundball rates this season, but he's potentially above-average in the NL.
  

  
  No arguments here. [MLB Trade Rumors]

Weekly Rundown: Citi Field, Andre Woodson, Guthrie

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• Thomas Boswell on the Orioles:
  

  
  After years of meddling, owner Peter Angelos has gotten out of the way. Now, if the front office spots a David Ortiz released by the Twins, his signing won't be nixed so David Segui can stay at first base. If the Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell trade is offered to the O's with Larry Bigbie the biggest piece Florida would get in return, no one will kill the idea and let the Red Sox jump on it.
  
  Now MacPhail decides. But how much can he spend? No one knows yet.
  
  "We need a big bopper in the middle of the order and a veteran starter to stabilize all our young pitchers," said one veteran Oriole.
  
  "Grow pitching. Buy bats," responded MacPhail.
  

  
  He also talks about how difficult it is for the O's to compete in the AL East. It's nothing new or surprising, but it's still a good read. [Washington Post]


• Citi Field, the Mets' stadium that hasn't even been open for a full season yet, is apparently falling apart. That's not good. [Bugs & Cranks]


• Here's what happened after Prince Fielder's game-winning home run against the Giants yesterday in the bottom of the 12th:
  
  
  
  
  I wouldn't be surprised if his teammates weren't acting -- Fielder may actually be that powerful. [Larry Brown Sports]


• John Feinstein on Daniel Snyder amid the whole "ticket scandal" thing:
  

  
  All of that said, a lot of people in this town have gotten pretty tired of Dan Snyder’s act. He’s owned the team for 10 years and, like any owner, would be forgiven pretty much anything if the team was winning. But after being a truly great franchise from 1982 to 1992, the Redskins have won two playoff games since Snyder bought the team. Every year he spends huge money on free agents because he loves having his picture taken with them and bragging about how rich he is to other owners and then, because all the team’s cap money is spent on a half-dozen players, the Redskins usually fold somewhere along the way when the inevitable injuries that hit every team hit them because they have no depth. Hearing Joe Gibbs talk about injuries during his four year return as coach almost moved people to tears. The Redskins, it appeared, were the only NFL team that EVER had an injured player.
  
  While Snyder has spent big money on big names, he has done everything in his power to make every possible dollar. Some call this good business; others call this ripping off a public that adores the team. He’s jammed more seats—many of them obstructed—into the stadium, upped prices every chance he gets, charged outrageous ($35) prices for parking and tried a few years ago to more or less blackmail club seat holders into renewing with years left on their contract at twice the price by threatening to raise prices even more if one didn’t renew instantly. A lot of people—I was one of them—didn’t take him up on it.
  
  At the same time that Snyder was paying $107 million for Albert Haynesworth this winter, he was laying off office employees. Again, fans will forgive that if Haynesworth produces and the Redskins win. Winning will get you forgiven for just about anything.
  

  
  Feinstein's right -- if the Redskins win, no one will care about the owner. However, it is getting a little tough to stomach his act of nickel-and-diming fans at every turn. [Feinstein on the Brink]


• Clinton Portis and John Riggins just can't get along. [Hogs Haven]


• A remote-control airplane interrupted a Diamondbacks-Dodgers game last Tuesday night. Matt Kemp on the airshow/distraction: "That was tight, I liked that." [Big League Stew]


• Dan Steinberg presents a rational assessment of the Redskins ticket controversy. [D.C. Sports Bog]


• Chase Daniel opted to join the New Orleans Saints' practice squad, so the Redskins have signed former Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson. [Redskins Insider]


• Kelly Dwyer thinks that Gilbert Arenas is the top second-round draft pick of the last decade. [Ball Don't Lie]


• Jeremy Guthrie has been pretty good lately, and his performance yesterday -- seven shutout innings -- was no different. [Camden Crazies]

Weekly Rundown: Peña, Marko Mitchell, O's baserunning

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• Zachariah Blott gives the current Wizards logo an F -- the only team to receive a failing grade:
  

  
  I suspect a club executive doodled this on a pad at some meeting in 1997 when the Bullets decided to change their name. There is no way this is the work of an actual artist who knows anything about aesthetically pleasing designs. Someone decided to go with curvy, so all of their logos—primary and alternative—are now made out of scythe blades. There’s no excuse for this amateur trash. Maybe it’s just tradition. The Wizards started as the Chicago Packers back in 1961, and their logo was downright pathetic.
  

  
  Ouch. [Empty the Bench]


• In case you didn't know (I didn't), Carlos Peña currently has hit more home runs (37) than singles (36). [FanGraphs]


• Kelly Dwyer lists the top 10 lottery busts of the decade. Surprisingly, Kwame Brown isn't No. 1. [Ball Don't Lie]


• Caron Butler is looking forward to an exciting season. [Washington Wizards Blog]


• Brandon Marshall at practice on Wednesday:
  
  
  
  Now that guy is a team player. The best way to get a new contract is definitely to act like a jerk in practice by punting the ball away from the ball boy. Nice going. [Larry Brown Sports]


• Defensive coordinator Greg Blache thinks Chris Wilson has "done a good job" switching from defensive end to linebacker. [Redskins Insider]


• Peter Schmuck thinks that the Orioles need to make "a legitimate run at a high-quality veteran starter either by trade or in the free agent market." [The Schmuck Stops Here]


• Marko Mitchell's new name is apparently Lanky Livingston. Confused? Don't be. Fred Smoot is involved. [D.C. Sports Bog]


• In something that needed to happen months ago, Dave Trembley and third-base coach Juan Samuel ripped the Orioles for their awful baserunning this season. The best quote(s) came from Samuel:
  

  
  "For some reason, they're not processing it," said Samuel, who has served as the Orioles' base running coach the past three seasons. "It's just a lack of concentration because they know. They are major league players or at least we think some of them are. To me, some of them are not. Some of them to me have to be thankful that expansion came because some of them wouldn't be here. Some of the stuff that you see them do is not OK. You're going to tell me that they are in the big leagues and don't know how to run the bases?"
  
  . . . "It has never bothered me to take criticism," said Samuel, who stole 396 bases and was a three-time All-Star during his 16-year career in the big leagues. "I'm man enough to do it. If they don't want to make the players accountable, then I'm going to be accountable. But to me, players need to be accountable. If you make a mistake, you need to take responsibility for your mistake. You have to do it. That's why you see teams that are up here [in the standings] and teams that are down here, because they don't want to be accountable. It's always somebody else's [fault], and that's a problem."
  

  
  For the most part, I agree with him. Poor baserunning can definitely be attributed to a lack of concentration, or just not caring enough about it. Several O's make some terrible mistakes on the bases, though I wouldn't say that they don't deserve to be in the majors because of it. On the basepaths, most O's runners don't get great primary and secondary leads, don't take the extra base, and take chances when they shouldn't and give up outs. Apparently the O's worked hard on baserunning in spring training, but they need to do it again. [Baltimore Sun]


• SI's Chris Mannix ranks the Wizards eighth. [Sports Illustrated]


• According to DeAngelo Hall, he dominated J.J. Redick in high school. [D.C. Sports Bog]

Weekly Rundown: Sproles, Betts, Mickolio

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• Darren Sproles is exciting to watch in real life, but he's pretty entertaining in this NFL.com Fantasy Files video:
  
  
  
  Less Tomlinson, more Sproles. [Shutdown Corner]


• Your eyes may be deceiving you when it comes to arguing against UZR and other advanced fielding statistics. [FanGraphs]


• Brian Orakpo is playing well and impressing the coaching staff. [Redskins Insider]


• Danny Granger had to alter his Batcave plans a bit:
  

  
  Granger: [...] I wanted an underground tunnel entrance. I had to take that out. I found out there's so many state codes and laws against that (laughing) so we had to take that one out. But we still have the underground thing going on and I mean I've got cars and things that turn my cars and I even got sort of like a moat thing going on so it will be interesting to see.
  

  
  Why didn't Gilbert Arenas think of this idea first? [Ball Don't Lie]


• Mike Wise describes Phillip Daniels's determination to return after tearing his ACL last season. [Washington Post]


• Jim Rice doesn't think many of today's major leaguers are good role models for kids. [ESPN]


• Ladell Betts will probably be the main third-down running back this season, and I'm not so sure that's a good thing. [Redskins Insider]


• This just in: The Redskins defense should be pretty good. [ESPN]


• In just under 10 innings pitched this season, Kam Mickolio has been outstanding. [The Schmuck Stops Here]


• Although they've been doing a better job over the last few months, the O's need to play better defensively. [Camden Crazies]

Weekly Rundown: J.R. Smith, Bugel, Arenas

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• Tim Keown on the annual MLB saga involving beanballs and angry hitters:
  

  
  Through it all, there is no end to the hand wringing from MLB headquarters, where everyone furrows their brows and interviews the umpires and issues the fines. They're very serious about this business.
  
  That's their first -- and biggest -- mistake.
  
  If they want to clean up this part of the game, there's a really easy answer: Stop trying so hard.
  
  If you don't want Fielder to rush the Dodgers' clubhouse, let him rush the mound. Get out of the way, and get the umpires out of the way. And for the sake of all that's right with the world, get the suits out of the way.
  
  Think of it as going organic, letting nature take its course.
  
  Let them fight. Let them do what they want to do. Let the game police itself the way it did before every game was televised and every highlight dissected.
  

  
  I don't know if I agree with him or not, but Kevin Youkilis certainly does. [ESPN]


• Adrian Wojnarowski provides an interesting look at J.R. Smith of the Nuggets. [Yahoo! Sports]


• The New Mexico State football program needs some help:
  

  
  In a twist on Little League moms lining up with after-game treats, New Mexico State's budget-conscious football staff distributed an e-mail this week asking fans to donate after-practice or late-night snacks for hungry players.
  
  It's a consequence of the national economy, of course.
  
  "It's a decision we had to make with regard to our meals," first-year coach DeWayne Walker said Thursday. "There are a lot of other areas where we have to make tough choices with how we're going to spend our money."
  

  
  I hope they like oatmeal cookies, orange slices, and Capri Suns. [ESPN]


• Joe Posnanski counts down the worst contracts in baseball and concludes that "we should just start referring to bad baseball contracts as 'Ricciardis.'" [Joe Posnanski]


• Joe Bugel still loves football -- and violence. [D.C. Sports Bog]


• According to several reports, Gilbert Arenas is back on the court and is looking solid. [Truth About It]


• After homering today, Nick Markakis has reached base in 36 consecutive games. [School of Roch]


• Marc Hulet thinks that Brad Bergesen, Matt Wieters, and Nolan Reimold all have at least a shot of winning the AL Rookie of the Year award. [FanGraphs]


• The Redskins have announced changes to their Twitter policy:
  

  
  The Redskins announced Sunday that media organizations covering the team can no longer use Twitter to report updates from the team's preseason practices.
  
  "We, like other teams, are concerned about the type of information that's being reported during practice," said team spokesman Zack Bolno. He said the Redskins don't want sensitive information about injuries and strategy being shared during practice.
  
  Since training camp began more than two weeks ago, reporters from several outlets have used Twitter to give fans practice reports in near real-time, reporting roster updates, injury news, commenting on plays and drills and even sharing photos.
  
  The team's official web site and 980 AM, which is owned by Redskins owner Dan Snyder, are not subject to the ban, Bolno said.
  

  
  None of this news is shocking, especially the part about ESPN 980's exemption from the ban. [Redskins Insider]

Weekly Rundown: Campbell, Vitale, Zaun

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• The Redskins improved their defense by adding Albert Haynesworth and Brian Orakpo, but the offensive line is a legitimate concern. [Shutdown Corner]


• Jason Campbell is working hard and trying to be a team leader. [Pro Football Talk]


• According to John Feinstein, Tony Kornheiser is a diva when it comes to parking:
  

  
  Last February on a Saturday morning I’d just finished working out when my phone rang. It was my pal Sally Jenkins. She was in town and she and Tony wanted to go to that day’s Maryland game to, “show Gary support.” No doubt the two of them walking in would mean the end of any further controversy involving Coach Gary Williams.
  
  “Why don’t you go with us?” she said.
  
  “I’m going to another game,” I said.
  
  There was a pause. “Can we have your parking pass?”
  
  The real reason for the call. “Sure you can,” I said. “But it isn’t on the loading dock (right next to the back door) where Tony likes to park. You’ll have to walk about 50 yards.” (Since I rarely go to Maryland games these days the only time I’d ask Gary for a spot on the loading dock would be if I HAD to go and it was snowing or freezing cold).
  
  Sally called back soon after to say they didn’t need the pass. Tony had called Gary a few hours before tipoff and Gary had gotten him onto the loading dock. [Feinstein on the Brink]
  



• T.O.'s reality show isn't really doing that well. [FanHouse]


• Delonte West almost makes JaVale McGee look normal. [Ball Don't Lie]


• The Nets are expecting Jarvis Hayes to take on a larger role next season. Good luck with that. [Nets Daily]


• Although I do agree with Gene Wojciechowski, the best way to leave Bartman alone is to stop writing about him. [ESPN]


• Maryland fails to make Dick Vitale's preseason top 40, but Duke, of course, is in his top five. [ESPN]


• Chris Mortensen offers this interesting nugget on some Minnesota Vikings players:
  

  
  As for the lovable and crazy Jared Allen, he has formed a Yahtzee league with linebackers Chad Greenway and Heath Farwell, among others. "You gotta kill some time," Allen said. "We thought about all the old games like Clue and Monopoly, but Yahtzee won out."
  

  
  As long as they're not playing on a boat, I think that's just fine. [ESPN]


• The Mottrams take down the Cooleys in a throw-off. [Mr. Irrelevant]


• Melvin Mora, Aubrey Huff, and Danys Baez have all cleared waivers. Still, I'd be surprised if they went anywhere. [Baltimore Sun]


• Jason Whitlock wrote about Jeff George -- again. [Jason Whitlock]


• Finally, Tampa Bay Rays catchers have been so bad that even Gregg Zaun offers a significant improvement at the position. [FanGraphs]

Weekly Rundown: Zorn, Marbury, Corso

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

(Quick note: This post is a day late, so I'm going to include some links from today. Anyway, I should have mentioned this before, but I've been pretty busy lately, and I probably won't be able to post as often in the next few weeks. But I'll still try to get as many posts up as I can. To those of you who do so, thanks for reading.)

• It's pretty funny to mention this now, especially after what happened yesterday, but Melvin Mora, last week, said that he wanted "to be an Oriole forever." [Baltimore Sun]


• Tony Kornheiser is planning a return to radio. [D.C. Sports Bog]


• Apparently the Redskins offensive line is one of the worst in the league. [FanHouse]


• Howard Bryant wrote a long, interesting piece about Billy Beane and Moneyball, but I'm still not sure exactly what point he was trying to make. Is Beane a bad GM? Is he too concerned with things outside of baseball? I don't think either of those things is true. [ESPN]


• Jim Zorn being Jim Zorn at Redskins training camp:
  

  
  "Here's what I did, I wanted to kind of cut down on all of the colors. We had an excellent color scheme last year, ok? I wanted to become more boring, and use our burgundy as the featured color. Because we had light gray, dark gray, black, smokey gray. We had dark burgundy, we had red. We had all kinds of colors. And then we had bellbottom sweats, where guys were taping around [their ankles]. You guys remember that? White tape around everybody's ankles? We looked like bike riders trying to keep their pants from getting greasy.
  
  So what I did is I got together with Brad Berlin, our equipment manager, and we kind of created just a cutdown on colors and styles of what we wanted the team to look like."
  

  
  Don't ever change, Zorn. [D.C. Sports Bog]


• J.A. Adande weighs in on the confusing and odd Stephon Marbury situation. [ESPN]


• Posnanski on advanced fielding statistics: "They’re not as good as they could be or will be ... I think everyone would agree about that. But they try (and often succeed) and taking an objective look at how effective a player performs defensively. Those numbers say [Yuniesky Betancourt] is a disaster at shortstop. Flawed numbers or not, I would tend to believe those over my lyin’ eyes." [Joe Posnanski]


• Brendan Haywood is better than you think he is. [Truth About It]


• Check out this crazy catch by the Pirates' Delwyn Young last week that the umpires (understandably) missed. [FanHouse]


• Rob Neyer is a fan of the George Sherrill trade:
  

  
  I'm not going to criticize the Dodgers for trading Josh Bell. Who knows? Maybe Casey Blake will live forever.
  What I will do is send up a big hip-hip-hooray for the Orioles, because the single best thing any rebuilding manager can do, ever, is trade a relief pitcher in late July for a couple of solid prospects.
  
  Let me repeat for anyone not paying attention: a relief pitcher.
  
  Relief pitchers are, well, I would say that they're "fungible" except that word always makes me think of a massively fun and rigid airship. Instead I'll say that a relief pitcher, purely in terms of value, is not worth two solid prospects.
  
  Bell and Johnson are solid. Bell opened the season as the Dodgers' eighth-best prospect, and has done nothing this season to damage his credentials -- he's got mid-range power and a .364 career on-base percentage. Johnson is 21, almost 22, certainly throws hard enough (90-93) and has struck out nearly a batter per inning in his five minor-league seasons.
  
  If I were an Orioles fan, I would be organizing a party right now.
  

  
  Oh, and I'm also a fan of the trade. [SweetSpot]


• Mike Williams has lost more than 100 pounds in eight months. Next step: Play better in training camp. [Redskins Insider]


• Speaking of losing weight, Ralph Friedgen has lost 95 pounds. [FanHouse]


• Could a quarterback controversy be coming for the Redskins? [Hogs Haven]


• Is PFT's Mike Florio at it again? [Mr. Irrelevant]


• Lee Corso is on the comeback trail, and I wish him the best of luck. [Awful Announcing]

Weekly Rundown: Ozzie Guillen, J-Macverine, Sarasota

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• Mike Florio thinks that Michael Vick is, right now, better than Jason Campbell and 11 other starting quarterbacks around the NFL. [Pro Football Talk]


• Earlier this week, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen made the decision to demote outfielder Brian Anderson instead of Dewayne Wise, and some poeple apparently think Guillen is a racist. Wait, what? [FanHouse]


• After seven years, Bill Simmons "retires" from writing his ESPN The Magazine column. [ESPN]


• J.A. Adande says that the NBA powers only got stronger this offseason. But what about the Wizards, J.A.? [ESPN]


• Dan Steinberg gives a glimpse of some of the Wizards fans in Las Vegas for the NBA's Summer League. [D.C. Sports Bog]


• The Orioles reached a deal to move their spring training home to Sarasota. [Herald Tribune]


• The NFL Draft will now be a three-day event, with the first round airing in prime time on Thursday. For what it's worth, I'm not a fan of the time change. [Awful Announcing]


• Peter Schmuck didn't appreciate Matt Wieters striking out looking on a 3-2 fastball on Saturday. [The Schmuck Stops Here]


• Jason Reid will now be the main contributor to the Redskins Insider blog at The Washington Post. [Redskins Insider]


• Chris Tillman is officially coming to Baltimore to make his first start on Wednesday. But whose spot will he take in the rotation? [Camden Crazies]


• Rob Neyer doesn't seem to be drinking the Billy Beane kool-aid anymore. [SweetSpot]


• The Wizards signed Fabricio Oberto, and he seems like a pretty good fit. [Bullets Forever]


• JaVale McGee, aka "J-Macverine," is a rather odd dude. [Truth About It]


• Yet another entertaining installment in the "Livin' Large" series. If you haven't checked these out, you should. [Basketbawful]


• And finally, John Calipari has a new website. Eamonn Brennan is right on the money: "Sometimes being a basketball coach has very little to do with coaching basketball." [The Dagger]

Weekly Rundown: Blatche, Musial, Trembley

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• Dave Allen on the outfield defense of Nick Markakis and Adam Jones so far this season:
  

  
  For the Orioles things have not gone as well, giving up an additional 20 runs in outfield defense. Nick Markakis and Adam Jones are two of the game’s up-and-coming star outfielders and their futures are bright, but their defense this year has not been good. Together they have given up over 15 runs, but it is important to remember this does not mean we should expect them to be poor fielders going forward. UZR and other defenses metrics, by all accounts, take huge numbers of innings before they become predictive and are subject to big fluctuations even of the course of an entire season.
  
  Markakis and Jones came into this season with great fielding numbers in 2008. Markakis at +11 UZR/150 in over 1300 innings in RF and Jones at +11 UZR/150 over 1000 innings in CF. This year Markakis is -16 UZR/150 over 760 innings in RF and Jones -12 over 600 innings. This new data put together with the old tempers our expectations; maybe Markakis is only a +5 to +0 corner outfield and maybe Jones is just a +5 to +0 center fielder.
  

  
  Despite the subpar numbers in the first half, I still believe Markakis and Jones are good enough outfielders to improve their performance in the second part of the season. [FanGraphs]


• Gilbert Arenas donated $25,000 to charity in exchange for the chair that President Obama sat in during the Bulls-Wizards game at Verizon Center earlier this year. The chair was also autographed by the president. [Washington Wizards Blog]


• Andray Blatche will wear No. 7 instead of No. 32. Only time will tell if the number change will reflect a change in Blatche's attitude and dedication. [D.C. Sports Bog]


• Eddie Jordan isn't to blame for Blatche's shortcomings. It's up to Blatche to reach his potential. [Truth About It]


• Steve Melewski presents an interesting question-and-answer session with David Stockstill, the Orioles' director of player development. [MASN Sports]


• Joe Posnanski does it again -- this time on the greatness that was/is Stan Musial. [Kansas City Star]


• Curtis Granderson had a wonderful All-Star experience, and he shared a couple of brief videos. [Big League Stew]


• Dave Trembley isn't assured of managing the Orioles past this season, but he's still working as hard as he can to improve the team:
  

  
  "I think we're getting to the point now with our organization where we almost taste it. We can see what's coming and we get a little ahead ourselves," said Trembley, who maintains that he gets far more fan support than criticism. "I think it's a positive quality that our fans expect us to win, but I also think, we all need to be realistic. Andy has been very forthright in saying, 'Hey, we got a ways to go.'
  
  "For us, it's more important to get the right guys in the right slots, to make sure they're getting experience and showing improvement. To put it bluntly, we don't have enough players that are done reaching their potential to, on a day-in and day-out basis, succeed in this division. I take the losses personal, but I think you have to keep things in perspective."
  

  
  I agree with Jeff Zrebiec: Unless the Orioles have another terrible late-season collapse, Trembley should return in 2010. [Baltimore Sun]


• In Dave Cameron's 2009 MLB Trade Value series, which only has five more names to go, Nick Markakis is listed at No. 35 and Adam Jones is 19th. Somehow Billy Rowell (.229/.289/.367 at Single-A Frederick) isn't included. [FanGraphs]


• Not sure about you, but I'm definitely rooting for Cadillac Williams. [Pro Football Talk]


• Some intriguing thoughts on why the blogosphere and the mainstream media may not be all that different. [Deadspin]


• Most fans agree with, or at least approve of, the Redskins' recent selection of Jeremy Jarmon in the NFL supplemental draft. [Redskins Insider]

Weekly Rundown: Roberts, Steve McNair Jr., Camden Yards

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

I decided to play some pickup basketball yesterday, so that's why the Weekly Rundown is a day late. Anyway, here are some non-LeBron links that I thought were worth mentioning:

• Dave Trembley talking about Brian Roberts last week:
  

  
  "He hasn't played up to his expectations on a consistent basis, and I think that's bothering him. I think he's searching for an answer for that. I think he feels like he's let some factors get to him and affect the way he's played. He told me the other day that he accepts responsibility for that. He felt like he let me down, let his teammates down. I told him all he can do is go forward. You've got to put the past behind you and you've got to go forward."
  

  
  Roberts is still having a decent season, but his overall numbers -- .273/.339/.433 -- are down compared to the last few seasons. Still, he already has eight home runs (he hit nine last season), and he's driving in a lot of runs (42) out of the leadoff spot. I don't think he'll continue to hit as many homers, but hopefully he starts to walk a little more to raise his BB/K ratio from 0.63, which would be the lowest since his rookie season. [Orioles.com]


• WJFK (106.7) will broadcast Wizards games for the next few seasons. [D.C. Sports Bog]


• Apparently Oscar Salazar and Felix Pie are on the trading block. [Baltimore Sun]


• According to Jason La Canfora, who now works for NFL Network, Redskins veterans with four years or more NFL experience won't have to spend the night at training camp this year. That Jim Zorn is a nice guy. [Pro Football Talk]


• Steve McNair Jr. looks to carry on his father's football legacy -- at wide receiver. [FanHouse]


• Michael Lee on the Wizards and last season's attendance:
  

  
  ...[G]ate receipts for the Wizards declined more than $4 million last season, which put them among the 10 worst teams behind Sacramento ($9.7 million), Toronto ($9.1 million), Los Angeles Clippers ($6.8 million) and Miami Heat ($5.3 million). [Ken] Berger writes that Charlotte and Indiana also went down more than $4 million from the previous season.
  
  The Wizards finished 21st in attendance last season averaging 16,612 fans, which was a dropoff from the season before when the Wizards ranked 15th at 17,962. Overall, the Wizards had 55,344 fewer fans walk through the turnstiles (about 1,350 per game). [Wizards Insider]
  



• Mark Buehrle may decide to hang up his spikes when he turns 32, and his decision will have nothing to do with his pitching abilities. [Yahoo! Sports]


• Last Tuesday, in a tribute to Michael Jackson, Ken Griffey Jr. wore one white batting glove and came to the plate as "Billie Jean" played over the sound system. [Big League Stew]


• Want to see a "true baseball story" at the movies? Rob Neyer doesn't think it'll happen. [SweetSpot]


• LZ Granderson does his best to, sort of, defend Holly Robinson Peete, who wrote a few semi-controversial things on Twitter as the Steve McNair saga unfolded. I have an idea: If you don't want people to overreact at things you say/write on a social networking site, then don't write anything at all. [ESPN]


• Apparently JaVale McGee isn't a big fan of the nickname "Epic Vale." [Bullets Forever]


• And finally, apparently Camden Yards doesn't suck. Well, of course it doesn't. [Deadspin]

Weekly Rundown: Tony Gwynn, Haywood, Rick Maese

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• Brian Mitchell comments on his firing, and WJFK may soon be switching to an all-sports format. [D.C. Sports Bog]


• Tom Friend writes an interesting piece on Tony Gwynn and his son, who now plays for the Padres and is hitting .299/.374/.401 in 39 games. [ESPN]


• Jeff Suppan was for sale on eBay? [Big League Stew]


• Brendan Haywood on Etan Thomas and his depature from the Wizards:
  

  
  "Uh, it's one of those situations that it doesn't really matter. It's not a happy he's gone. I mean, I didn't mention him because there was no need to mention him. And that's no disrespect to him, but when I look at our team, he hasn't played the last two years due to injury, unfortunately."
  
  "And then you look at the same thing, he wasn't really tight in our locker room structure. You know, he kind of distanced himself, and we even talked to him about it, like, 'We feel like you don't feel like you're part of the team.' So he distanced himself from the team. So you look out there, we're gonna miss Songaila because he's played and played well the last couple years, and we're gonna miss him because he went out with guys to eat, he went out to the comedy shows and to the mall, he hung out, he was an integral part of our team. While Etan didn't play, and he didn't have that many close friends, so, we're not gonna miss him.
  
  "And that's nothing about our [personal] business, our business is our business and the past is the past, we settled that. So there's not any problem with him as a person. I think the trade actually works out well for him, because I think he has a trade kicker where he gets more money, so that's great in this economy, any time you can make more money. And then he has a chance to play, where he wasn't gonna play here."
  

  
  So, you mean, Andray Blatche and Thomas weren't best friends? Stunning. [D.C. Sports Bog]


• Ever get the feeling that batters are striking out more than ever? Well, according to Tim Kurkjian, they are. [ESPN]


• Dave Cameron believes the Nationals won their trade with the Pirates that had them sending Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan to Pittsburgh in exchange for Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett. He highlights Morgan's solid outfield defense as a large factor. [FanGraphs]


• Basketbawful has put together an impressive and entertaining multi-part series ("Livin' Large") on what it was like to live in a dorm room with a college basketball player. As of right now, there are four installments up. Here's part one. [Basketbawful]


• Patrick Hruby offers 10 more examples of players who you've probably encountered while playing pickup basketball. His first article, published about two years ago, included eight types of players. That article and my own experiences on the court allowed me to come up with my own list a while back. [ESPN]


• Finally, Jamie Mottram interviewed Rick Maese, the new Redskins beat reporter for The Washington Post. [Mr. Irrelevant]

Weekly Rundown: bad baseball movies, NBA trades, Siragusa

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• Never seen The Fan? You're lucky then. Here's a list of 10 bad baseball movies. [Big League Stew]


• The Cavs traded for Shaq. The Magic acquired Vince Carter from the Nets. The Wizards sent the No. 5 pick and three players to the T'Wolves for Mike Miller and Randy Foye. The Spurs traded for Richard Jefferson. And the Hawks dealt for Jamal Crawford. Other deals could be in the works, but apparently the Pistons turned down a trade offer from the Celtics: Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo for Rodney Stuckey, Tayshaun Prince, and Rip Hamilton. [Ball Don't Lie]


• The Wizards, at least right now, are committed to keeping the core of Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison together. [Washington Post]


• Here's a surprise: Michael Wilbon didn't like the Wizards trade. [Washington Post]


• Is it really that hard to spell Zimmerman? [D.C. Sports Bog]


• Tony Siragusa ("Internet star"?) may be appearing on a show on FoxSports.com. Well, that plan certainly can't fail. [Awful Announcing]


• I don't know much about Matt Hobgood, the latest first-round pick by the Orioles, but I like his attitude. [Camden Crazies]


• Truth looks at both sides of the Wizards' decision to sell their second-round pick to the Rockets for $2.5 million instead of drafting DeJuan Blair. [Truth About It]


• As Jake points out, it's time for Andray Blatche to step up this year. [Bullets Forever]


• Were you aware that the Orioles are a horrible baserunning team? Peter Schmuck agrees. [The Schmuck Stops Here]

Weekly Rundown: Arenas, Portis, Ryan Howard

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

It's been a couple of weeks since I posted one of these, but here's what caught my eye during the last week or so:

• The Washington Post's Michael Lee provides some information on Gilbert Arenas's offseason workout plans:
  

  
  I never got the chance to run into Gilbert Arenas at the NBA Finals, but Washington Times reporter Mike Jones stumbled into him in the hallway during Game 4. Arenas told Jones that he plans on spending this summer working out with the famed trainer Tim Grover, who worked with Michael Jordan and helped Dwyane Wade resurrect his career last season and finish third in MVP voting behind LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
  
  Although I didn't get Arenas, I did talk for a while with Grover, who was at every game working exclusively for Finals MVP Bryant. Grover told me that he expects Arenas to come to his Attacks Athletics facility in Chicago in about two weeks. Arenas has committed to coming and Grover said while he hasn't seen Arenas's medical records, he estimated that it will take at least a two month commitment for Arenas to get the necessary training required. He added that several stars overcoming left knee injuries, including Tracy McGrady and Jermaine O'Neal, are expected to be in Chicago this summer.
  

  
  Arenas working out with Grover certainly seems like great news. [Wizards Insider]


• The Detroit Tigers' Curtis Granderson weighs in with his thoughts on the buzz surrounding 16-year-old Bryce Harper and his decision to enroll in community college. And he makes a convincing argument. [Big League Stew]


• Mike Florio says that Clinton Portis is becoming a "major problem" for Jim Zorn and the Washington Redskins. Florio: "Multiple sources have advised us that Portis shows little or no respect to coach Jim Zorn, and that the situation bubbled over at least once during the team’s OTA sessions, with Portis telling the coach off in front of other players." If this is true, I'm sure it won't be the last time it's brought up before and/or during the season. [Pro Football Talk]


• Truth efficiently dismisses a couple of odd Wizards trade rumors. [Truth About It]


• Mike Jones of The Washington Times believes the Minnesota T'Wolves may want the Wizards' No. 5 pick:
  

  
  According to one insider, the Timberwolves (who already have the sixth, 18th and 28th picks in the draft) disparately want to move up in order to land UConn big man Hasheem Thabeet. Another report has them badly wanting Rubio. Either way, the T'Wolves are said to be craving Memphis' No. 2 pick, but believe to land it, they need to offer two top-six picks in the draft. Enter the Wizards.
  
  Minnesota reportedly has been working the phones nonstop and of all the teams in the league they're talking to, they've been in speaking with the Wizards the most. Some of the pieces Minnesota is believed to be offering up are swingman Mike Miller, who has a $9.75 million expiring contract, guard Randy Foye, the expiring contracts of Brian Cardinal ($6.75 million) and Mark Madsen ($3.6 million) and possibly the 18th and/or 28th picks.
  

  
  I still think the Wizards will trade the pick, though I have no idea what exactly they'd be targeting. But even if Miller isn't the best defensive player, he would provide the Wizards with a consistent threat from three-point range. [Outlet]


• Mike Prada tries to discover the best possible match(es) for Arenas in the backcourt. [Bullets Forever]


• Peter Schmuck does his best to defend Dave Trembley's decision to let Danys Baez pitch to Ryan Howard last night. Howard hit a three-run homer, but the Orioles fought back to earn an impressive win. Still, I disagree with Schmuck. If the Orioles were going to pitch to Howard at all, they should have done so with their best left-handed reliever: George Sherrill. Sure, Sherrill's the closer, but the Orioles don't have a better left hander in the bullpen right now. If Trembley wanted to challenge Howard at all, Sherrill should have been the guy -- not Baez. Just take a look at Howard's splits against RHPs (.299, 17 HR, 1.080 OPS) and LHPs (.194, 3 HR, .615 OPS). It's some outside-the-box thinking, but as important as that moment was, Howard should have either been facing Sherrill or put on base. [The Schmuck Stops Here]


• Rob Neyer discusses the high number of rookie starters this year. [SweetSpot]


• Rick Dempsey, shockingly enough, believes it may be time for the Orioles to start pursuing some trades. That doesn't mean he'd be OK with the O's trading Gregg Zaun, though. [MASN]


• Finally, Andy MacPhail says the Orioles are not in "salary dump mode." [Baltimore Sun]

Weekly Rundown: Kornheiser, Brandon Snyder, John Wall

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• Jon Gruden is taking Tony Kornheiser's spot on Monday Night Football, which is probably a good thing. Funny guys don't really work in the booth, especially if they don't know that much about football to begin with. Though, to be honest, it's really not surprising that once ESPN stopped bringing in random celebrities to interview during the game and had the announcing trio focus, for the most part, on the game, that the product improved immensely. Anyway, if you think the decision to leave was solely Kornheiser's, you're crazy. The Washington Post's Leonard Sharpiro offers his thoughts on the whole thing. [ESPN]


• If Brandon Snyder keeps hitting like he is, the Orioles won't have a problem finding room for him. [Baltimore Sun]


• World Series and ALCS games will start about 40 minutes earlier this year, so, hey, that's cool. [ESPN]


• Consensus No. 1 prospect John Wall has decided to play for John Calipari at Kentucky. Though Wall will only stay for one season, it's official: Kentucky is loaded. [Rivals]


• Think the Washington Redskins should change their team name? Michael Silver agrees with you. [Yahoo! Sports]


• The Orioles aren't the only team that makes horrible baserunning mistakes; the Mets do it too. [Big League Stew]


• Send Phil Hughes to the bullpen? Not a bad idea. [SweetSpot]


• The Nationals have had a strange season both on and off the field, and now there's this: exploding hot dog buns:
  

  
  "It's just funny to watch hot dog rolls explode and come down on people," agreed James Timmermeyer, one of several fans to comment in this space about the malfunction of Nick's Sausage Shooter during Saturday's matinee, just a few hours before the tarp failed to deploy. "I would actually like to see that again. I'd want it to go awry every time."
  
  The Nats declined to comment on any sausage failure, so I'll go by some first-person accounts. Screech came out on a Segway, as he always does for this promotion, and set up shop down the right-field line. (The sausage shooter is used irregularly, but is a season-long promotion that has occurred before and is scheduled to occur again.) This time, though, hot dogs (wrapped in bun, foil and t-shirt, along with a flyer) weren't soaring into the stands with the majesty of a Roethlisberger bomb. This was the Danny Wuerffel version.
  
  "Every time you would see one fire, you would almost see shotgun pellets of stuff come out of it, stuff would explode everywhere," said Alex Zeese, who was sitting in 222. "You would see bits of hot dog bun lying in the field. A guy in front of me caught one, he opens it up, the whole thing was just crushed, and the sausage casing was pretty much the only thing left. It had been torn down the center, all you saw was little bits of meat stuck to the casing. It was basically gutted. I don't think anyone would eat that. I'm just glad there was no mustard in that stuff."
  
  There was at least one report of a sausage flying into the Phillies bullpen, to great amusement of the residents. One commenter said the grounds crew had to retrieve pieces of bun from the field, and that Garrett Mock was showered with the stuff. That's unconfirmed, but it would certainly fit in with the other reports.
  

  
  Long quote, I know, but it's hilarious nonetheless. What's next, Nationals? Spelling a former president's name wrong on a bobblehead? Apparently, yes. [D.C. Sports Bog]


• This just in: Nick Markakis is really good -- and humble, too. [Washington Post]

Weekly Rundown: Selena Roberts, Sam Huff, Matt Millen

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

I've been kind of busy lately, but here's a few quick links that I should have posted on Sunday.

• Malcolm Gladwell writes a really long article that basically comes to this conclusion: A team has a better chance to win if it presses its opponent. The piece is definitely worth a read and is intriguing, but I disagree. That strategy might be successful in women's youth basketball or work if executed properly at the right level, but basketball isn't that simple. Good ball-handling teams just don't throw the ball to the other team for no reason or struggle that mightily in breaking a press. [The New Yorker]


• Jason Whitlock isn't a fan of Selena Roberts or her journalistic ethics -- or lack thereof. [Kansas City Star]


• Bill Simmons discusses the difficulties the media currently has in getting in-depth stories and information on athletes with technology such as Twitter, Facebook, and individual blogs that allow athletes to connect directly to their fans without the middlemen. [ESPN]


• Michael Lee breaks down the risk involved when trading a top-three draft pick. [Wizards Insider]


• Sam Huff doesn't really care for Michael Vick: "I think they ought to turn him loose with the dogs. That's what I think of Michael Vick." [Charlotte Observer]


• Need a potential NFL player to root for? Here's one. [Shutdown Corner]


• So Dan Snyder might actually be a good guy? Now that's hard to believe. [Washingtonian]


• Are you a Matt Millen fan? Me neither. But it sure looks like he's going to stick around for a while:
  

  
  Former NFL player, executive and broadcaster Matt Millen is joining ESPN's football coverage as a game and studio analyst.
  
  Millen will work as a college football game analyst and will contribute to ESPN's NFL studio coverage throughout the year, appearing on "Monday Night Countdown," "NFL Live," "SportsCenter," ESPNEWS and other programs.
  
  As part of Millen's NFL studio responsibilities, he will travel to the site of each week's "Monday Night Football" game, where he will appear on "Monday Night Countdown" and the pre- and postgame editions of "SportsCenter."
  

  
  Well, that's just great. Is it too late to get Emmitt Smith back? [ESPN]

Weekly Rundown: Greinke, Josh Pastner, Haynesworth

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• Andy Katz takes a look at many of the draft decisions made by potential NBA prospects. I tend to agree with most of his comments, especially on Greivis Vasquez and how stacked Kansas will be next season. [ESPN]


• Zack Greinke wasn't all that thrilled about being featured on this week's Sports Illustrated cover:
  

  
  "There's a lot more interesting stuff going on right now," he said. "They should have something else on the cover. Playoff basketball or something else.
  
  "So it's a mistake. They'll probably sell their least amount of magazines in a long time -- except when NASCAR was on the cover."
  

  
  As always, good stuff from Greinke. And if you're interested, here's the cover. [Kansas City Star]


• Linebacker Cody Glenn, recently selected by the Redskins in the fifth round, was suspended by Nebraska for three games last season. Not only did he lie about the reason for the suspension (he said it was for a ticket scandal/incident), but he won't admit what actually happened. Very odd. [Redskins Insider]


• Let's just put it this way: Josh Pastner (31 years old), Memphis's new men's basketball coach, is a prodigy. [Yahoo! Sports]


• The Baltimore Sun fired three writers and a photographer in the middle of covering the Angels-Orioles game on Wednesday. If that wasn't bad enough, the journalists were fired over the phone. Peter Schmuck offered his thoughts on the matter:
  

  
  "Woke up this morning hoping the past two days were a bad dream. Many great people -- including sports columnists Rick Maese and David Steele -- were laid off as the Sun continues to suffer the effects of this horrible economic downturn. Of course, this recession is hitting home everywhere, but it was surreal to watch Rick and Dave pack up their stuff in the press box at Camden Yards during yesterday's game and head into an uncertain future." [The Guardian]
  



• Keith Law thinks it's time to end the Felix Pie experiment and give Nolan Reimold a chance (near the bottom of the chat). [ESPN]


• Think MLB attendance is down a whole bunch this season? Jayson Stark says it's not -- and has the numbers to prove it. [ESPN]


• Truth wonders, reasonably so, if Antawn Jamison would be willing to "swallow his pride, suppress any hubris, and come off the bench" next season if the Wizards bring in a defensive power forward in the offseason. [Truth About It]


• And could that power forward be Chris Bosh? Rook of Bullets Forever thinks it could work out. [Bullets Forever]


• Jason Reid provides some insightful information on the life of Albert Haynesworth. [Washington Post]

Weekly Rundown: Orakpo, Braxton Dupree, Hillenbrand

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• With the 13th pick in the first round, the Redskins took defensive end Brian Orakpo, who many analysts figured would already be off the board. Orakpo should see lots of playing time, especially since his main competition is Renaldo Wynn and Phillip Daniels. [Redskins Insider]


• Should the O's top prospects be promoted to the majors as soon as possible? Rick Maese thinks it couldn't hurt, though using Brad Bergesen's first start as an example isn't really a strong argument. My opinion: Andy MacPhail knows what he's doing. [Baltimore Sun]


• Braxton Dupree intends to transfer from Maryland. [Baltimore Sun]


• Keith Law doesn't understand the contract the Nationals gave Ryan Zimmerman:

  
  Ryan (Richmond): Is it possible that Jim Bowden kidnapped Rizzo and is still showing up to work every day in a Rizzo mask? Sending down Milledge, all this uproar over the Dukes thing, giving Zim that huge deal. None of this seems productive to me.
  
  Keith Law: Don't forget the release of Shawn Hill, too. That Zimmerman contract ... wow. They gave him Markakis money and he's maybe half the player Markakis is. They gave him more than Youkilis got (adjusting for the years covered - Alex Speier pointed this out on WEEI.com) and he's not half the player Youkilis is. There should be no "face of the franchise" premium. If that's your face, put some damn makeup on. [ESPN]
  



• Amy K. Nelson describes the curious case of former first-round pick Matt Harrington, who turned down three big contracts and now works at Costco. [ESPN]


• Check out this article and video of a three-year-old baseball-hitting prodigy. [SweetSpot]


• Remember Shea Hillenbrand? Here's a fascinating feature on what he's doing now and what happened during his playing career, including his infamous confrontation with then-Blue Jays coach John Gibbons:
  

  
  Hillenbrand said the atmosphere in Toronto was 'circus-like' and to him it seemed like some of the players, despite the team's struggles on the field, were constantly joking.
  
  "It was like they weren't respecting the game," he said. "The team had just spent a lot of money and we weren't producing as a team. We were going downhill and the atmosphere in the clubhouse was circus-like. We had a players-only meeting and I was put in a position where I felt they wanted me to leave. I wrote 'the ship is sinking' on the board and another player wrote something like 'play for your paycheck.' The hitting coach saw it on the board and left, and then the manager (John Gibbons) came in and asked who did it. I said I did it. He tried to fight me there, calling me out in front of everyone.
  
  "Do I regret writing that? Yes. It's something I shouldn’t have done. But when a player gets put in a position where the team doesn't allow you to go visit your family, you stand up for yourself. I stood up for myself and I stood up for my teammates – and I'm the bad guy?"
  

  
  But that's just one part, and the article is definitely worth a read. [The Herald News via MLB Trade Rumors]

Weekly Rundown: Garnett, Paulus, Madden

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• The Celtics' chances to repeat as NBA champions took a big hit with the news that Kevin Garnett could miss the entire postseason with a lingering knee injury. Bill Simmons gives his own thoughts on the KG situation, handicaps the Celtics' chances to win without Garnett, and offers an insightful discussion on the continuing demise of the newspaper industry. [ESPN]


• Greg Paulus will apparently be given a chance to compete for the starting quarterback job at Michigan. Duke coach David Cutcliffe offered Paulus a chance to try out for the team -- but at wide receiver, not quarterback. Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez must really be desperate. [ESPN]


• John Madden has decided to retire from broadcasting. Mike Florio offers some comments from Madden and toots his own horn for predicting in January that Cris Collinsworth would take over for Madden after the season. [PFT]


• Redskins fans really want Mark Sanchez. Or not. [Redskins Insider]


• Truth provides some end-of-the-season thoughts on Antawn Jamison and now former coach Ed Tapscott. [Truth About It]


• The Nationals just can't seem to get anything right. They're 1-10, they can't spell "Nationals" correctly on all of their jerseys, and they even suspended outfielder Elijah Dukes for showing up five minutes late after doing some charity work. [Big League Stew]
  
• ESPN's Rob Neyer wasn't a big fan of MLB's Jackie Robinson celebration idea, in which every player, coach, and umpire wore No. 42 in honor of Robinson on Wednesday. Neyer: "Never underestimate the ability of the commissioner to take a pretty sweet idea and just drive it into the ground until it's dead." [SweetSpot]


• ESPN actually being reasonable and willing to acknowledge criticism? This can't be right. [Awful Announcing]


• Peter Schmuck thinks umpire Doug Eddings did a horrible job behind the plate on Saturday: "Eddings needs to go back to one of the umpire academies and learn the strike zone." [The Schmuck Stops Here]