My Interivew With Danny Rouhier From 106.7 The Fan

My good friend Josh Feldman of Entertain This help me collaborate our interivew with Danny Rouhier from 106.7 the fan. Danny is a stand up comedian from New York City and he heard weeknights on 106.7 the fan with Bill Rohland on their evening show called "Overtime with Bill Rohland". The entire interview is posted on Entertain This website, which is a entertainment news site that features news about music, movies, pop culture, environment, and sports. I write for this site to cross promote skins take into a wider audience. If anyone is interested in writing for Entertain This, please send an email to entertainthisnow@gmail.com.

Anyway, here is the interivew with Danny based only on my four questions I ask him recently.


1) Do you think the Redskins will ever win the Super Bowl under Dan Snyder’s ownership?

"Hard to say.  Words like ‘ever’ or ‘never’ are always a bit risky, especially in sports.  What if, in 50 years, he’s still the owner but instead of the impatient tyrant that makes life at Redskins Park miserable for everyone that works there, he’s just a nice old grandfather who owns the team in name only?  What if he goes all George Steinnbrenner on us and lets smart people run things for a long time?  The point is, I guess, that I wouldn’t say anything is absolute in sports.  That said, the way he does business now (although for the time being empowering Shanahan is a nice start) is not conducive to winning.  Just look at the comments of former employees over there.  And these little ribbon cuttings and PR moves to show you a kinder/gentler Dan Snyder?  They’re a farce.  It’s another in a long line of PR moves designed to make sure the fans buy in again next year."

2)  How did you get started with comedy? 

"I was always a jock and was really outgoing.  I always knew in the back of my head that I wanted to perform.  I loved attention, being in front of people, talking in big groups, and really, the sound of my own voice.The only outlets I had growing up for performing would have been doing plays and musicals.  We all know that musicals are terrible terrible things that should be banned.  I had no interest in reciting someone else’s lines or hanging with the drama kids (I know they didn’t want me around either).  I got a baseball scholarship and when I was in college, never had time for anything else.  I had 2 experiences though that looking back, had a profound affect.  Pablo Francisco came to my school and put on a show and the other, an improv troupe opened up for David Spade.  As I watched the improv show (they did a good job btw), I thought to myself: ‘I can do this. They are just relaxed and having fun with each other.’  That feeling stayed with me for many years.  But, when I went to see Pablo, he DESTROYED for an hour with nonstop energy and killer joke after killer joke.  Everything he said was hysterical.  I left that show feeling like I could never ever be a standup comic.  If that is what it took, then I had no chance.  I regret that feeling nearly everyday.  It’s why I didn’t start for years after graduating.  I took an improv class for fun on a weekend.  I met a couple stand up comics who were really nice guys.  I got some help writing jokes then got myself on an open mic.  In those 5 minutes at a gay hipster coffee house in Dupont Circle, I realized what I wanted to do with my life."

  

3) Do you think the Redskins have a better chance making the playoffs or finishing 7-9 or 8-8?

"This group, as they are built is not going to the playoffs.  They are not talented enough across the board.  This team doesn’t have players to fit their 3-4 scheme at this point and the offense lacks playmakers and quality O-linemen beyond rookie Trent Williams.  There are a couple nice stories (guys like Brandon Banks, Anthony Armstrong, Keiland Williams etc) but not front line NFL starters at this point.  I said before the season (you can look up the audio!) that this team would go 6-10.  They are the oldest team in the NFL and have a lot of work to do if they want to be competitive."

4) How do you feel as a fan when the Redskins were embarrassed once again on Monday Night Football at home against the Philadelphia Eagles?

"Furious and Sad.  Furious because I’m tired of being a joke.  I’m sick of getting made fun of in the bar or when I’m on the road.  I’m sick of being the punchline when I tell people that I’m a Redskins fan.  The team puts me in that spot and it’s not fair.  Long after these current players are gone, I’ll still have these last 20 years of complete buffoonery to look back on.  I have to deal with with being a laughingstock year after year and I’m not alone.  This fan base has suffered indignities like few others.  Not just in the team’s poor play but in the attitude of the team towards a loyal and committed fanbase (charging us to go to training camp, outrageous parking prices, suing fans, banning signs etc.).  Games like Monday night bring all that back into focus and it makes me livid.

That game also made me sad.  Even though intellectually, I know they are not good still, that glimmer of hope is always there.  In the back of my mind, I believe that maybe this is the time they do something magical.  I’ve seen other teams do it, maybe we can too?  You try and keep that feeling quiet but it’s always there.  And when you get embarrassed like that, when everyone around the league is watching, it’s just depressing.  I get upset… then I get upset at myself for being upset because I knew better.  I knew they weren’t any good so why I am I surprised?  It’s a terrible cycle.  All I want is for them to be good.  I want it so bad.  I want that feeling again that I had when I was a kid.  But you know what?  More than anything else I want other fan bases to suffer, I want the eagles/giants/cowboys fans to have to eat giant piles of dung when the Redskins win the Super Bowl.  I want them to feel like I’ve felt for the last 20 years.  Then I want them all to apologize to me for being terrible people who are fans of evil teams that no one with a brain would like.  Then I want to tell them that I do not accept their apology and they can go pound sound.  Then I want them to ask what that means as they get taken to a desert and are left there forever."

Albert Haynesworth's Suspension Builds A Deeper Problem For The Organization

After today's events regarding Albert Haynesworth being suspended for the final four games of the regular season, it appears that Haynesworth will be one of the worst free agents  signings in franchise history. Haynesworth will join the likes of other free agent busts such as Deion Sanders, Adam Archuleta Brandon Lloyd, Dana Stubblefield, Jeremiah Trotter and Jeff George.  There are so many subplots regarding the feud between Haynesworth and head coach Mike Shanahan and it is highly likely that we may not get the truth of this ordeal anytime soon.

Still, there is a case to make for each side of the story. You can make the case that Haynesworth is wrong on this issue because he never participated in  the offseason workouts, and never appeared to be in football shape during the season. You can make the case that Shanahan should get the blame because he let this issue drag on, and it eventually became a major distraction for the team.

Those points are valid, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. This issue presents a major problem for the organization and it goes beyond Haynesworth and Shanahan.

For 11 years, owner Dan Snyder has never rebuilt the roster through the draft or made smart additions during free agency. Instead, he traded draft picks for older veteran players and he spent outrageous amounts of money on players that were past their prime and never produced on the field.

The results are a 42-44 record at FedEx Field since 2000, and an 85-103 record overall since taking control of the team in 1999. Even after the Redskins have a losing season, they tend to do a quick fix to their problems instead of thinking about the long-term plan for the team. For example, I will examine the most recent free agency period first, then I will focus on 2009 and 2008 offseason moves.

2010 Offseason: The Donovan McNabb signing, as much as I hate to admit it, is one of those examples. The Redskins gave up a 2nd round draft pick in 2010 and a 3rd or 4th round draft pick in 2011 to the Philadelphia Eagles. McNabb has had one of his worst seasons since he was a rookie. His 75.2 quarterback rating is the fifth worst in the NFL.

They acquired Jammal Brown of the New Orleans Saints for a 3rd or 4th round draft pick in 2011. The trade is based on McNabb’s playing time and his results this season. However, Brown has yet to stay healthy all season and has struggled at right tackle. Also, the Redskins added aging veterans such as Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, Joey Galloway, and Bobby Wade. So far, none of those players except McNabb and Brown are currently on the roster.

2009 Offseason: The Redskins spend $100 million on Haynesworth which included $40 million guaranteed. They also signed cornerback DeAngelo Hall to a 6 year $54 million contract. Hall received $22.5 million in guaranteed money.

2008 Offseason: The Redskins traded a 2nd and 6th round draft pick to the Miami Dolphins for defensive end Jason Taylor. Taylor would play only one season for the Redskins and was released in 2009. Also, the Redskins had a good amount of draft picks to rebuild their roster, but even their draft selections were a complete disaster. Here is a list of players drafted by the Redskins in 2008.

Round 2  (34) Devin Thomas WR Michigan State (On the N.Y Giants)
Round 2  (48) Fred Davis TE USC (On the Roster)
Round 2  (51) Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma ( On IR)
Round 3  (96) Chad Rinehart G Northern Iowa ( Buffalo Bills Practice Squad) 
Round  4  (124) Justin Tryon CB Arizona State ( Traded to the Colts in 2010)
Round 6  (168) Durant Brooks P Georgia Tech ( Released in 2008)
Round 6  (180) Kareem Moore DB Nicholls State ( On the Roster)
Round 6  (186) Colt Brennan QB Hawaii ( Released in 2010)
Round 7  (242) Rob Jackson DE Kansas State (Released in 2010)
Round 7 (249) Chris Horton S UCLA (On IR)

Thanks to the poor personnel decisions and terrible spending in free agency, the Redskins are closer to being one of the worst teams in the league instead of being a contender. The worst part is that Snyder has never learned from his past mistakes. The fans are sometimes too passionate to realize that because they buy into the marketing hype created by Snyder in terms of selling tickets and jerseys. It could take 2-3 years to sort out this mess.

The team is not only old and has minimal talent, but they don't have a winning mentality. They keep bringing in star players with huge back-loaded contracts and they get treated differently within the organization than other players and coaches. Anytime a player has a selfish mentality, it doesn't translate to great production on the field.

Also, when good coaches come to the Redskins and get paid, they seem to lose their ability to coach as well. Joe Gibbs may have brought some respectability to the organization with his two playoff appearances, but they never were a title contender unlike his first tenure from 1981-1992. Steve Spurrier and Jim Zorn were terrible hires because neither of them coached at the pro level and they were never in charge of player personnel decisions.

Marty Schottenheimer led the Redskins to an 8-8 record following a 0-5 start to the 2001 season. He also had the final say in player personnel decisions. However, Snyder fired him because he wanted to get involved with the team, and he wasn't happy that Vinny Cerrato was fired by Schottenheimer. Since then, the Redskins have been a mediocre football team with the future isn’t as bright as Snyder wants it to be.

What I'm trying to prove basically is that Snyder continues to embarrass the franchise and his own fan base, and I don't believe he's going to change his mentality anytime soon. Despite Shanahan having the final say in player personnel decisions, and Bruce Allen being the general manager, I still think that Snyder is still involved in the organization.

The decision to re-sign McNabb to a five year deal before the Redskins played the Eagles on Monday Night Football was the perfect example. That signing was a marketing ploy to lure fans in and that the Redskins have a pro-bowl type quarterback for the next few years even though McNabb isn't having his best season. I also think that hiring Allen as their general manager and Shanahan as their head coach is a public relations move to let the fans think that the Redskins have a respectable front office.

So, if Snyder had any concern for us fans and any respect for the history of this franchise, he would choose three options.

A) Back-off and let Shanahan get the final say in personnel decisions.

B) Stop spending millions of dollars on free agents and don't trade high and mid-level draft picks for older players.

C) Start working on a sale process that will allow him to recover his investment and hand the team over to someone else.

Which option do you think Dan Snyder will choose??

Albert Haynesworth Suspended For The Season

The Albert Hanyesworth vs Mike Shanahan saga has taken another turn for the worst. The Washington Redskins announced today that Albert Haynesworth will be suspended for the reminder of the season without pay for "conduct detrimental to the club." Haynesworth arrived late for a team meeting last Friday and he appeared to look hung over.  Shanahan deactivated Haynesworth before the Redskins played the Giants last Sunday. It was the fourth time this season that Hanyesworth was deactivated for a regular season game this season. Here is a statement from the Redskins.


"Despite the club's numerous attempts to persuade Albert Haynesworth to abide by the terms of his contract, he has repeatedly refused to cooperate with our coaching staff in a variety of ways over an extended period of time," Among other things, he has consistently indicated to our defensive coaches that he refuses to play in our base defense or on first-down or second-down nickel situations.  He has also refused to follow the instructions of our coaches both during weekly practices and during actual games as well.

“Yesterday, when Albert was at Redskin Park, he told our General Manager Bruce Allen that he [Haynesworth] would no longer speak with me. “Although suspending any player is not a decision that a head coach enters into lightly, I believe the situation has reached the point where the club clearly has no alternative.”

Another Bad Home Loss

Like it has been for the last 11 years, FedEx Field has turn into a home of foreclosure for the Washington Redskins. Last Sunday, the Redskins endured their fourth home loss of the season as they lose to the Minnesota Vikings 17-13. The Redskins are 2-4 at home this season and 42-44 overall since 2000. The loss will be the eighth time decade that the Redskins will finish either at .500 or below at home. This loss isn't surprising since the Redskins have been inconsistent all season. The Redskins play to the level of competition every week. They play a close hard fought victory against good teams, and find stupid ways to lose when playing against bad teams.

The Redskins showed their inconsistency last Sunday. They committed costly penalties and receivers weren't catching the football. Whenever the Redskins missed a great opportunity, they never had enough talent to overcome those mistakes. The illegal block in the back penalty on rookie linebacker Perry Riley was a back-breaker for the Redskins. It occurred during what supposed to be a huge 77 yard punt return for a touchdown by Brandon Banks. If that penalty wasn't called, the Redskins would of possibly won the game, keep their playoff hopes alive, and I'll be talking about how amazing Brandon Banks is as a football player.

Instead, the Redskins are 5-6 and their playoff hopes are realistically over. However, even if they somehow got the victory, it will very hard for the Redskins to make the playoffs.

The running game wasn't a factor at all  because the team had to relied on backup Kelliand Williams and journeyman James Davis. Ryan Torain is still out with the hamstring injury, and Clinton Portis is out of for the season. The result with Davis and Williams was 29 total rushing yards. The Redskins are on track to have one of the worst rushing seasons in franchise history, which is very surprising since head coach Mike Shanahan usually has a great ground attack.

The poor running game, the inept performance on offense after a terrific 13 play drive to start the game, and the defense not making plays in crucial situations resulted in the Redskins loss. The next five games aren't going to get any easier either. Four of the next five are against teams with winning records.

But there is some good news. The Redskins are on track to finish with a 7-9 or 8-8 record this season, which is a major accomplishment.  This is essentially the same roster from last season despite changes at quarterback, a few free agent acquisitions, a couple of draft picks, and the front office. However, teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are making major progress from last season disappointing record because of their rebuilding process through the draft, something the Redskins never did under Dan Snyder regime. If you compare the offseason moves between the Chiefs and the Redskins this year, it will make you even more angry at the Redskins front office again.

Next Week's game: @N.Y. Giants (7-4)
Time & Network: 1p.m. on Fox
Commentators: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnson, Tony Siragusa

I really expect the Giants to destroy to the Redskins this Sunday despite their injury issues at the offensive line and at wide receiver. Giants quarterback Eli Manning is 8-3 against the Redskins and has won four straight games against them. The Giants need to win to keep pace with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. The Redskins are still mathematically alive for a playoff spot, but with some key starters out again because of injury, this game could be a blowout in the making.

Giants: 31 Redskins: 13

Video Of the Day: Redskins Fans Fighting in the Stands

A Big Road Victory Comes With a Big Price

After an embarrassing 31 point home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Redskins responded with a huge 19-16 overtime victory against the Tennessee Titans.  The big road victory came with a big price for the Redskins. At least seven players were injured during the game.

Among them were Redskins running game Clinton Portis, who played his first game since week 4. Portis looked very good early in the game as he rushed for 32 yards on five carries. But Portis got hurt again and returned to the sidelines in the second half.  Portis was just one of the eight players injured. Here is the list of the remaining six players who were injured during the game.

RB Chad Simpson: Suffered a foot injury during pregame warmup’s (Placed on Season-Ending IR)

  C Casey Rabach: Knee injury

 LB Rocky McIntosh: Severe groin injury

 SS Anderson Russell: Suffered a leg injury during a 87 yard punt return by Titans wide receiver Marc Mariani (Placed on Season-Ending IR)

 LG Derrick Dockery: Knee injury

 OLB Lorenzo Alexander: Hamstring injury

 The Redskins also had four starters out prior to kickoff. Here is the list of those injured starters.

CB Carlos Rogers: Hamstring injury

SS LaRon Landry: Achilles tendon

RG Artis Hicks: Thigh injury

RB Ryan Torain: Hamstring injury

Despite these injuries on defense and a patchwork offensive line, the Redskins outplayed the Titans, a team that has won 12 straight against NFC opponents. The Redskins offensive line played their best game of the season. Tackle Stephon Heyer looked terrific at left guard, and Will Montgomery, who started at right guard in place of Hicks, performed better at center than starter Casey Rabach. Therefore, the Redskins, who were last in the league in 3rd down conversions, went 8-16 on 3rd downs and it led to game-winning 48 yard field goal by Graham Gano in overtime. Gano redeemed himself after missing a 47 yard field goal with four seconds left in regulation. 

Quarterback Donovan McNabb had enough time to make plays and covert on 3rd down. Also, two dumb penalties on the Titans defense in overtime helped the Redskins to secure the victory. The defense did a good job on not allowing an offensive touchdown to the Titans after a disastrous performance last week. The Titans only scored three field goals after Mariani’s 87 punt return for the touchdown.

After the game, the off-the-field drama centered on Titans quarterback Vince Young. Young was knocked out of the game because of a thumb injury he suffered early in the 4th quarter. Backup Rusty Smith took over for the rest of the game. Young was prepared to re-enter the game, but Head Coach Jeff Fisher kept Smith instead.  When the game ended, Young tossed his shoulder pads and his own jersey into the stands. He briefly talked with Fisher and quickly left the stadium alone. So not only the Redskins knock out a starting quarterback for the second time this season, but Vince Young’s may have played his last game as a Tennessee Titan.

As for the Redskins, they are 5-5 and still in the NFC playoff picture. However, they will need to get healthy quickly or these injuries could cost them in December.

Next Week’s Game: Vs. Minnesota (3-7)

Time & Network: 1p.m. on Fox

Commentators: Dick Stockton, Charles Davis, and Jim Mora Jr.

Brett Favre comes into town this thanksgiving weekend in perhaps his final game ever at FedEx Field. The Vikings are off to a poor start with a 3-7 record. They recently fired head coach Brad Childress and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier will be the interim head coach. Childress was hated by his own players and their 31-3 home loss to the Green Bay Packers was the final straw. So with this coaching change, the Vikings will be more motivated to play for pride this Sunday. The Redskins cannot take this opponent too lightly otherwise it could be another bad home loss.

The Monday Night Massacre

Ladies and Gentlemen, the entire country has witness once again how dysfunctional the Washington Redskins franchise really are. On the day they signed a new five year contract extension for quarterback Donovan McNabb ,and the entire season on the line, the Redskins lose to the Philadelphia Eagles 59-28 in a humiliating effort. It was the worst home loss ever at FedEx Field, and it proves the lack of talent the Redskins have on their roster.

There were several NFL and franchise records broken in last night's massacre alone.  Eagles quarterback Michael Vick becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for 333 yards, rush for 80 yards, throw four touchdown passes and rush for two touchdowns in a single game. The Eagles set an NFL record for most points scored in a quarter with 28, and set a franchise record for the most total yards of offense in a game with 592. The Redskins set a franchise record for the most points given up by the opposing team in a half with 45.

Basically, the Redskins defense, which was last in the league in giving up total yards per game, made Vick look like the greatest quarterback in the NFL. They made backup Eagles running back Jerome Harrison look like the second coming of Barry Sanders or Emmit Smith. This defense was just awful at every facet of the game. They couldn't tackle, contain Vick, add pressure, and they couldn't cover anybody. But here is a even more dangerous statistic on how poorly the Redskins defense has performed this season according to Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post.

"The Redskins are now allowing 25.4 points per game, seventh-highest in the league and Washington's worst average since 1998, when it yielded 26.3 points an outing. The Redskins also have given up 27 touchdowns; the most they have relinquished in the 16-game-schedule era is 46 in 1988, a number they are now threatening. They're on pace to give up 48."

I know its takes time to adjust to the 3-4 defense after several years of playing in the 4-3, but if these statistics are broken by the Redskins defense for all the wrong reasons, then I don't see Jim Haslett being the defensive coordinator next season. This defense has been a major issue all season. They give up too many yards, but their high takeaway total compensates their weaknesses. However, there is going to be games that the Redskins don't get takeaways. Guess what?? They didn't get cause a turnover last night. What does it result?? The defense giving up 52 total points. So if you exclude the takeaways, this defense can't stop anyone. They already given up 31 points to the Texans, 26 points to the Rams, 31 points to the Lions, and 52 points to the Eagles.

Oh yeah, there was a pregame scrum before the game too involving one of the Redskins defensive players. Redskins safety Laron Landry was taunting Eagles wide receiver Desean Jackson. Landry said to the Jackson that "I’m going to put you asleep again."

Those words lead to a scrum between both teams before they exited to their respective locker rooms. So what did the Eagles did on their 1st play of scrimmage? Vick throw an 88 yard touchdown pass to Jackson. Guess who covered Jackson during that play?? Laron Landry. See what happens Landry when you don't shut up and put your money where your mouth is. You get burned by Jackson in pass coverage. Then again, Landry has always been awful in pass coverage in general, so it wasn't too surprising that Jackson beat him easily.

Overall, this was the worst Redskins loss I have ever seen. I was very fortunate to not be at the game last night. I know some of my friends that went there, and I feel very sorry for them to see this epic humiliation on a rainy overcast Monday evening.  This loss was an indictment on the decline of this franchise. It is still dysfunctional, a laughing stock, and it lacks talent everywhere.

I know this team is old, but that doesn't mean anything. The New Orleans Saints were the second oldest team in the NFL last year, and they still won the super bowl.  Why? Because they have talent on the roster. Outside of Donovan McNabb, Brian Orakpo, London Fletcher, Anthony Armstrong, and Brandon Banks, the Redskins have zero talent. The level of skill players between the Eagles and the Redskins are astounding, and it was proven to the fullest extent last night.

I can criticize on why the Redskins came out flat when they had two weeks to prepare for the Eagles, and why they give a contract extension to McNabb. But on the Lavar Arrington Show today on 106.7 the fan, Lavar's sidekick, Chad Dukes,  perfectly explains how he feels, and how do I feel as a Redskin fan right now. If your a Redskins fan from this area, a fan of a another NFL team, or just like sports talk radio personalities going nuts on their hometown team after a terrible loss, then this opening segment of the show is for you.

Next week's Game: @ Tennessee
Date & Time: 11/21/10 at 1.P.M on Fox
Commentators: Dick Stockton, Charles Davis, and Jim Mora

How would the Redskins respond following one of their worst defeats in franchise is beyond me. I do know this. The character of this football team will be put into the test next weekend in Nashville.