The Red Sox have declined an option on the contract of long time Red Sox rightfielder Trot Nixon. Trot has ONLY played for the Red Sox Nation. Trot is what I call a "Regional Star." He is a good player that does not make a huge national splash but is loved by their fans. A few other players such as this would Mike Greenwell from the RedSox of the 80's and early 90's, Jose Lind from the Pirates of the 90's and current players such as Baltimore's Jay Gibbons. All are solid players but never recieve the full recognition they truly deserve!
Throughout his time in Beantown, Trot is everything that every ball play should aspire to be. In a day and age of shameless self promotion, Trot was one of a few players to play for the name on the front of the jersey as well as the people that jersey represents. Today's players are out to create an image, one that is marketable. Derek Jeter is the cool, calm and collected leader of the bastards. Opps, I mean Yankees. Andruw Jones is the defensive wizard behind the Atlanta Braves. Albert Pujols is the freak lighting up the scoreboard in St. Louis ... I am in no way saying that these players hype themselves but rather thier team and the media does. Trot is simply and affectionately "The Dirt Dog." Trot is certainly a throw back player. He reminds me of that guy who would be on your high school team who wouldn't wash his jock strap while the team is on a winning streak. Sure, he never put up mind blowing stats but he was the face of consistency in the right field of Fenway! Trot played the game how many people wish today's player would approach it ... All out, all the time!
If Trot has, in fact, played his final game as a member of the Red Sox Nation, I feel there are a few things the Sox must do.
I believe his pine tar covered batting helmet as well as his trademarke dirt covered hat should be placed in the Red Sox Hall of Fame.
With the announcemnet of the JD Drew signing as well as reports that Manny will be staying in Boston, it appears there is "no room in the Inn" for Trot. It is my hope that Trot will be signed by a team where he can flourish and be appreciated for what he brings to the ball park on a routine basis. I believe his style of play would best be suited for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh is a blue colared town who loves hard work! Trot would be loved in Pittsburgh. Besides, I go to a lot of games in Pittsburgh!
During his time in Boston Trot has compiled a batting average of .278, hitting 133 homeruns, and driving in 523 runs. All of this while sporting an impressive .984 fielding percentage in a tricky right field. When Opening Day rolls around, Trot probably won't be apart of the Red Sox team. However, my autographed 2004 World Series picture will still hang on my wall.
Eventhough Trot wears #7 in honor of Yankee great Mickey Mantle, Trot Nixon has epitomized what the Red Sox Nation is all about!
PS. I am not sure if this is flattering, but Lindsay and I will be naming our first dog Trot in honor of "The Dirt Dog."
Thanks Trot!
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Yet another Redskins blog ...
Well, another week has gone by and yet another disappointment for me and anyone else who gives a crap about the Washington Redskins. Is it me or are they quickly becoming the New York Knicks of the NFL? They pay the Gross National Product of a large country for talent that gets them virtually no where!
As I sat in the stands at Fed Ex on Sunday, I felt 2 emotions. The first was cold. (If that's an emotion) It was freezing and I am not one to get very cold. My Coke actually got colder as the game went on. And I am not talking about Dexter Manley's coke.(Let me know if you got that!) Lindsay grabbed my hand and she was surprised to feel that my hand was very cold. She thought that perhaps it may be the end of the world since I am always very warm.
The second emotion I felt was disbelief.
The Redskins took an early 14-0 lead and it looked like it was going to be a great day. Betts was running the ball and the defense was slapping Vick around (Eventhough the wuss would run out of bounds anytime Marcus Washington or Sean Taylor was on his tail!) All systems were go for a big Redskins win and the chance to sneak into the playoffs. But then out of nowhere ...... reality slapped me in the mouth!
Missed tackles lead to a Falcons Field Goal. I thought, " No big deal ... 14-3 Skins." But it seemed like we all were expecting a let down, and boy was it ever coming. You know, if we were playing first to score 14 points wins, we would've been sitting pretty. Unfortunately the inconsistency of the Washington Redskins was about to show it's ugly face.
The offense disappeared, the defense stopped containing Vick and we were losing our lead. What once was a joyous atmosphere turned into a sombering realization that money alone does not win Super Bowls, shoot in this case it wont even produce a winning season! To be honest, I am at a loss for words. So, instead of rambling on and on, I have decided to make a new list of what's wrong in DC right now!
#5 - Tackling -
The Redskins cannot tackle at all! There is a story about a group of Girl Scouts who went to visit the Redskins. After about an hour at Fed Ex with the Redskins, the Scout Leader was called to pick up the girls. She frantically hurried to the stadium. When she got there she rushed in and and asked what was wrong. The PR person said, "Nothing, they're just beating the Redskins 21-0 and that red-headed girl with the daisies in her hair has ran for 152 yards." It has always been said that to win in the NFL you MUST be able to do 2 things. Run the ball effectively and stop the run. Well Ladell did his thing but the defense AGAIN blew it. How stupid did the defense look on the 70 yard touchdown run Sunday? Here's a hint guys ... you tackle with your head up and you put your helmet between the ball carrier and the End Zone. I LEARNED THAT PLAYING PEE WEE FOOTBALL!
# 4- Andre Carter -
We are paying him to do what exactly? Last winter, I was excited about our 4 big moves. Randle El, Lloyd, Archuleta, and Carter. Now I am wishing Archuleta and Carter never would have worn a Redskins jersey. Let me ask you this question.
Instead of signing Andre Carter, why not keep LaVar and put him on the ground as a Defensive End. Kind of like Lawrence Taylor and Derrick Thomas .... I would love to see him coming around the corner on the blind side, wouldn't you?
But what do we do? We let him go to the Giants! I am well aware he is hurt for the year,so this is all speculation, but we could have worked something out with him. He did not want to leave Washington. I feel LaVar was screwed over by the whole Daniel Snyder quick fix. Bringing in coach after coach and screwing things up! I have disliked Snyder ever since he moved training camp away from Frostburg, Maryland. He is a schmuck, who has a lot of money but the football knowledge of some dork playing Dungeons and Dragons in his Mom's basement!
#3 - NO HEART -
Last year Marcus Washington and the previously mentioned LaVar Arrington urged teammates to play with as much enthusiasm as they did in college. Remember, where you DID NOT get paid to play! Last years defense was nasty ... sure they missed some tackles (Sean Taylor missing LT in overtime still hurts) but compared to this defense they were Gods! Do they not realize they are the laughing stock of the league? If they were more concerned about making plays and playing with pride than thier freakin image they would be great!
It seems as if our defense is more concerned with how to celebrate after a tackle rather than making one!
#2 - We couldn't cover a blind 3 legged dog! -
Our pass coverage SUCKS. If I see another player get burnt on a slant, I will freaking go postal! Shawn Springs was a late scratch on Sunday. I didn't know this until I saw Kenny Wright get burnt (AGAIN). What I don't understand is our defensive backs are "professionals" yet they suck! Carlos Rogers is turning into a good corner and Shawn Springs is always dependable but we might as well have those midgets from that AE channel (Little People Big World) playing back there in passing situations!
#1 - Al Saunders -
I am about to explode on this one! Our play calling sucks! The 2006 Washington Redskins have been the poster children for inconsistency. One minute our quaretrback is completing 23 of 24 passes, the next he as stunned as an 85 year old woman walking into Victoria's Secret. One game our running backs look like they should be going to Hawaii in February the next they look as if they should be going to the Betty Ford clinic instead. For a while our defense has glimpses of glory, the next game, lapses of retardation. Our offensive line will go 2 games without a penalty, then have 3 penalties on 1 play the next week. However, with all of this inconsistency one thing has been true ... week in and week out. OUR PLAY CALLING SUCKS! I do not want to write too much about this topic in fear that something in my brain my snap. I would then go on a rampage kicking poodles and stealing from little girls! But c'mon Joe ....... Get rid of Saunders. With less than a minute, down by 10, 3rd and goal from the 3, who calls a freaking draw play? If you wanted to run the ball, why not bring in a jumbo package after Campbell spiked the ball to stop the clock? Now I am well aware that Joe Gibbs is a great man. Joe is a stand up guy who will take all of the blame, never throwing anyone under the bus. BUT JOE, AL SAUNDERS IS HORRIBLE! Perhaps Joe doesn't want to shake things up and screw the system up. To answer that I must say one thing. Brian Billick was not happy with his offensive production, so he booted the Offensive Coordinator. And how did that work out for them?
Ok, there it is ... Just a portion of my ranting and raving. I keep telling myself that next year will be the year.
But I am afraid next year I will saying that the year after that will be the year. It is a vicious cycle ... I think I may need help!
Smile on people, Smile on!
As I sat in the stands at Fed Ex on Sunday, I felt 2 emotions. The first was cold. (If that's an emotion) It was freezing and I am not one to get very cold. My Coke actually got colder as the game went on. And I am not talking about Dexter Manley's coke.(Let me know if you got that!) Lindsay grabbed my hand and she was surprised to feel that my hand was very cold. She thought that perhaps it may be the end of the world since I am always very warm.
The second emotion I felt was disbelief.
The Redskins took an early 14-0 lead and it looked like it was going to be a great day. Betts was running the ball and the defense was slapping Vick around (Eventhough the wuss would run out of bounds anytime Marcus Washington or Sean Taylor was on his tail!) All systems were go for a big Redskins win and the chance to sneak into the playoffs. But then out of nowhere ...... reality slapped me in the mouth!
Missed tackles lead to a Falcons Field Goal. I thought, " No big deal ... 14-3 Skins." But it seemed like we all were expecting a let down, and boy was it ever coming. You know, if we were playing first to score 14 points wins, we would've been sitting pretty. Unfortunately the inconsistency of the Washington Redskins was about to show it's ugly face.
The offense disappeared, the defense stopped containing Vick and we were losing our lead. What once was a joyous atmosphere turned into a sombering realization that money alone does not win Super Bowls, shoot in this case it wont even produce a winning season! To be honest, I am at a loss for words. So, instead of rambling on and on, I have decided to make a new list of what's wrong in DC right now!
#5 - Tackling -
The Redskins cannot tackle at all! There is a story about a group of Girl Scouts who went to visit the Redskins. After about an hour at Fed Ex with the Redskins, the Scout Leader was called to pick up the girls. She frantically hurried to the stadium. When she got there she rushed in and and asked what was wrong. The PR person said, "Nothing, they're just beating the Redskins 21-0 and that red-headed girl with the daisies in her hair has ran for 152 yards." It has always been said that to win in the NFL you MUST be able to do 2 things. Run the ball effectively and stop the run. Well Ladell did his thing but the defense AGAIN blew it. How stupid did the defense look on the 70 yard touchdown run Sunday? Here's a hint guys ... you tackle with your head up and you put your helmet between the ball carrier and the End Zone. I LEARNED THAT PLAYING PEE WEE FOOTBALL!
# 4- Andre Carter -
We are paying him to do what exactly? Last winter, I was excited about our 4 big moves. Randle El, Lloyd, Archuleta, and Carter. Now I am wishing Archuleta and Carter never would have worn a Redskins jersey. Let me ask you this question.
Instead of signing Andre Carter, why not keep LaVar and put him on the ground as a Defensive End. Kind of like Lawrence Taylor and Derrick Thomas .... I would love to see him coming around the corner on the blind side, wouldn't you?
But what do we do? We let him go to the Giants! I am well aware he is hurt for the year,so this is all speculation, but we could have worked something out with him. He did not want to leave Washington. I feel LaVar was screwed over by the whole Daniel Snyder quick fix. Bringing in coach after coach and screwing things up! I have disliked Snyder ever since he moved training camp away from Frostburg, Maryland. He is a schmuck, who has a lot of money but the football knowledge of some dork playing Dungeons and Dragons in his Mom's basement!
#3 - NO HEART -
Last year Marcus Washington and the previously mentioned LaVar Arrington urged teammates to play with as much enthusiasm as they did in college. Remember, where you DID NOT get paid to play! Last years defense was nasty ... sure they missed some tackles (Sean Taylor missing LT in overtime still hurts) but compared to this defense they were Gods! Do they not realize they are the laughing stock of the league? If they were more concerned about making plays and playing with pride than thier freakin image they would be great!
It seems as if our defense is more concerned with how to celebrate after a tackle rather than making one!
#2 - We couldn't cover a blind 3 legged dog! -
Our pass coverage SUCKS. If I see another player get burnt on a slant, I will freaking go postal! Shawn Springs was a late scratch on Sunday. I didn't know this until I saw Kenny Wright get burnt (AGAIN). What I don't understand is our defensive backs are "professionals" yet they suck! Carlos Rogers is turning into a good corner and Shawn Springs is always dependable but we might as well have those midgets from that AE channel (Little People Big World) playing back there in passing situations!
#1 - Al Saunders -
I am about to explode on this one! Our play calling sucks! The 2006 Washington Redskins have been the poster children for inconsistency. One minute our quaretrback is completing 23 of 24 passes, the next he as stunned as an 85 year old woman walking into Victoria's Secret. One game our running backs look like they should be going to Hawaii in February the next they look as if they should be going to the Betty Ford clinic instead. For a while our defense has glimpses of glory, the next game, lapses of retardation. Our offensive line will go 2 games without a penalty, then have 3 penalties on 1 play the next week. However, with all of this inconsistency one thing has been true ... week in and week out. OUR PLAY CALLING SUCKS! I do not want to write too much about this topic in fear that something in my brain my snap. I would then go on a rampage kicking poodles and stealing from little girls! But c'mon Joe ....... Get rid of Saunders. With less than a minute, down by 10, 3rd and goal from the 3, who calls a freaking draw play? If you wanted to run the ball, why not bring in a jumbo package after Campbell spiked the ball to stop the clock? Now I am well aware that Joe Gibbs is a great man. Joe is a stand up guy who will take all of the blame, never throwing anyone under the bus. BUT JOE, AL SAUNDERS IS HORRIBLE! Perhaps Joe doesn't want to shake things up and screw the system up. To answer that I must say one thing. Brian Billick was not happy with his offensive production, so he booted the Offensive Coordinator. And how did that work out for them?
Ok, there it is ... Just a portion of my ranting and raving. I keep telling myself that next year will be the year.
But I am afraid next year I will saying that the year after that will be the year. It is a vicious cycle ... I think I may need help!
Smile on people, Smile on!
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