Time To End The Redskins Name Debate (UPDATED)

It's time to end the debate on the Washington Redskins nickname, but the national media will never allow it. Anytime a publicly known figure speaks about changing the Redskins nickname, it becomes a top national headline across all media platforms. Despite what owner Dan Snyder said about keeping the name, there are still national pundits that still wants change.

Anyway, here are my five opinionated takes on this issue. Note: I am only speaking this issue from a hardcore Redskins fan point of view. 


1) My Own Opinion: I have been a Redskins fan for over 20 years. During that span, I have never viewed the Redskins as a racially derogatory name. When I wear my Redskins jersey on gameday, I always view the nickname that honors and respects all Native Americans across the United States.

2) Media Response: Secondly, the  more this issue gets brought up, the more I am getting very heated about it. It's getting to the point where the debate is filled with too much lack of research and hypocrisy. I feel like the media are just hopping on the bandwagon because it's the trendy thing to do. In addition, they are not doing their own research about the Redskins origin and its history, and ignoring 80 years of franchise history.

That alone really pisses me off. If the name is going to be changed it should be because the majority of American Indian people are opposed to it, not because some sports writer announces their intentions to stop using the name in protest.  Sorry, but the Onedia Indian Nation group is not a good enough sample size to consider them credible on this discussion. There has to be a lot more Native American groups nationwide to support the name change.

However, this is not the case. In fact, they are plenty of Native Americans around the country that supports the Redskins name. For example, Rick Reilly of ESPN had an article about this issue. He talked to some high school athletes at Wellpinit High School in Washington, were 91% of their student body is Native Americans.


"I've talked to our students, our parents and our community about this and nobody finds any offense at all in it," says Tim Ames, the superintendent of Wellpinit schools. "'Redskins' is not an insult to our kids. 'Wagon burners' is an insult. 'Prairie n-----s' is an insult. Those are very upsetting to our kids. But 'Redskins' is an honorable name we wear with pride. … In fact, I'd like to see somebody come up here and try to change it."

As you can see,  the students aren't bothered by the Redskins nickname at all and Reilly even pointed out that changing the Redskins won't be as easy as it sounds because Native Americans embrace the name.

3) Hypocrisy and Relevancy: While other known figures such as President Barack Obama, Mike Wise, Bill Simmons, and Christine Brennan are all supportive for a name change, neither of them aren't Native Americans.  That alone illustrates the hypocrisy of this debate. It's very absurd to just say that the Redskins nickname is racist name. The nickname has been around since 1932. Where were these folks back in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, or 2000s? Better yet, why this is even a discussion right now?

The reality is that the debate is only happening because the Redskins are relevant again. When the team was irrelevant, and weren't being discussed that much in the national media, only the lawsuit holders cared about it. Now that the Redskins are in the news everyday for Robert Griffin III reports, suddenly, all of these random media members pop out of the nowhere and announce their intention to stop using the name. 

This debate is not only media driven, but it's basically a crusade by the political correctness crowd. They will be relentless, even if some Native Americans come forward to defend the name. This is all about control over what you can say under the guise of good intentions.

4) Dangerous Sports Precedence: So let's say if the Redskins name does get changed. Suddenly, it sets up a a potential major precedence not only in the NFL, but in sports in general. What is going to stop the political correctness crowd from changing the nicknames of the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Blackhawks, Florida State Seminoles, and the Kansas City Chiefs?

Those teams, like the Redskins, have a rich history and a loyal fanbase. Those fans of the teams don't want their nickname to be changed. But that's exactly what's going to happen if the Redskins name does change. The media will target those teams nicknames and demand for a change.

So once again, when it comes to the political correctness crowd, there is no end in sight from them.

Therefore, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell needs to be very careful on this topic and with the political correctness folks.

It is highly possible that Redskins and NFL fans, including myself, may boycott professional football all together if the name does get changed. The fans in the D.C. area love the Redskins brand and it's proud long history. A name change will not pleased a lot of fans in this area.  Also, football fans around the country might view it the same way as Redskins fans does. This could lead to loss in revenue from ticket sales and TV ratings. The NFL is a business and it wants to draw more fans. They cannot afford to lose anymore hardcore and causal fans since it has endless lawsuits from former players on concussion related injuries.

Now, some media members have compared this issue to the Washington Bullets name change to the Wizards back in the late 1990s. However, the Wizards has one-fourth of the fanbase compared to the Redskins. Therefore, the response from Redskins fans will be enormously larger.

5) Conclusion: Regardless what public opinion wants,  Dan Snyder has the final say in this matter.  The NFL and the Redskins are each a private business entity. Snyder knows that the Redskins are a profitable NFL brand with over 80 years of  history and tradition and his fans love the name. Unless the franchise take a major financial hit in game attendance, merchandise sales, advertising, and local TV ratings because they want a name change, the Redskins name will never change.

Update: I have removed Bob Burns quote on this post because he was misquoted according to multiple sources.

Will the Redskins Bounce Back Against The Detroit Lions?

The Redskins will return home this Sunday when they host the Detroit Lions. Historically, this game should favor the Redskins because the Lions have never won a regular and postseason game in Washington. However, that long historic home winning streak is in deep jeopardy.

On paper, any football expert will pick the Lions to destroy the Redskins for a variety of reasons. The Redskins offense is completely stagnant, and the defense can't stop the run nor defend the pass. Add to the fact, that the Lions have Quarterback Matthew Stafford, running back Reggie Bush, and wide receiver Calvin Johnson, it spells for another disaster in the making. The Redskins defense doesn't have enough talent that to contain those players. The offense hasn't scored a touchdown in the first half this season.

Also, the Lions defense led by Ndamukong Suh can easily go after Redskins Quarterback Robert Griffin III all afternoon. Keep this in mind that Griffin will have his knee brace on for the entire season, so the Redskins offense will have to get creative in terms of calling read option plays. Defenses around the NFL know Grffin's injury and his limitations, and they will use blitzing schemes to attack Griffin in the pocket. Griffin will not have the mobility that he had last season and he's not an accurate pocket passer. On the flip side, he could still be effective enough to scramble out of the pocket and run for the first down when necessary. The offensive line is built for a mobile quarterback because of Mike Shanahan's zone blocking schemes, and without Grffin's mobility, the offense will stay stagnant.


While being 0-2 is terrible way to start the season, maybe this game on Sunday bring a major sense of urgency and desperation to a team that is known for resiliency. Maybe Griffin can get the offense back in rhythm, run a couple of read option plays, and have a decent performance for a full 60 minutes.  Maybe the defense finds a way to stop the run, contain Calvin Johnson, and create turnovers. Maybe the Redskins find a way to stay competitive throughout the entire game and give the fans a reason to watch them in the second half.

If those positive moments on both sides can come all together, then maybe it can result in the Redskins first win of 2013. 

Redskins Fall To The Green Bay Packers 38-20

For the second straight week, the Washington Redskins had a putrid first half performance and this time, they never managed to make a comeback as they fall to the Green Bay Packers 38-20.

Once again, the Redskins look completely flat from the start. Quarterback Robert Griffin III couldn't get the offense going at all. They went 0 for 5 on 3rd downs in the 1st half alone, and the defense never stopped the Packers offense.

In fact, the Packers set a franchise and NFL record on the same day. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers went 34 for 42 for a career-high 480 yards and four touchdowns, receiver James Jones had a career high 178 yards and running back James Starks ran for a career high 132 yards and a rushing touchdown.

This was the first time in NFL history that the Packers had a 400-yard passer and a 100-yard rusher in the same game.

So Redskins continue to give away franchise and NFL records to opposing teams during the first two weeks of the season. In those two games, they have fell behind 33-7 vs Eagles and 31-0 vs Packers by the third quarter. Also in that stretch, the Redskins have been outscored 50 to 7 in the first half alone.

Here are my five observations from this game in Green Bay.

1) RGIII is Still Struggling: The Redskins appeared to have to not run their read option from last year and decide to go to a pass first traditional offense, something that Mike Shanahan rarely does. So far, it has backfired completely. RGIII cannot complete his pass attempts and the offense continues to go three and out in every offensive series in the first half. Combine that stationary offense with a bad defense on the road vs Green Bay, that's a recipe of disaster. Without RGIII running the ball, he is no major threat on offense. So the Redskins will have to go back on being themselves and run the read option offense in order to keep the opposing defense guessing.  RGIII is just not getting it done as a regular pocket passer.

Also, Griffin's statistics in the first half in each of those two games are very troubling. According to ESPN 980, Griffin has thrown for an combined 15-33 for 205 yards, three interceptions and a 28.0 quarterback rating. His numbers improve in the second half, but all of those positive statistics came when the game was out of reach.

2) Brandon Merriwather's Concussion: Brandon Merriwather continues to find stupid ways to get off the football field. On his first start of the season, he lays a helmet to helmet hit on Packers running back Eddie Lacy. Both Merriwather and Lacy was knocked out of the game because of an concussion, and Merriwather will amazingly get only a fine from the league office.

3) Ryan Kerrigan is off to a great start: Another small positive is the play of Ryan Kerrigan, He had back-to-back sacks on Rodgers early in the first quarter, resulting in a Packers field goal and punt on their first two possessions. Unfortunately, those sacks never carried over to the offense as they struggled all afternoon.

4) All NFC East Teams Lost in Week 2: As bad as the Redskins have been so far, the rest of the division hasn't been good either. The Eagles, Cowboys, and Giants all lost their games in Week 2. So through two weeks, the NFC East looks like the Big Ten Conference of the NFL.

5) A Total Team Failure: While RGIII will garner the press time on his poor play, the two losses should not be blamed at him at all. The losses were total team failures. The defense that could not tackle and cover anyone vs the Packers. In fact, the Redskins defense have given up 1,023 yards during the last two games. That's the second worst in NFL history in a two game stretch to start the season. Also, there was lack of  blocking from the offensive line and receivers dropping passes that hit them in two hands. Even when things did click, there were drive stopping penalties, especially on offense and special teams.

Next Week's game: Vs. Detroit Lions
Time & Date: September 22nd @1pm on Fox: WTTG-TV (Washington D.C.)

It's already week 3, and the Redskins season may be on the line next week. A potential 0-3 start to the season will be disastrous for this team. This is a must win game on all levels, and the Redskins will have to look very competitive in the first half . That means the offense will have to go back to their roots from last season, and the defense has to find a way of containing Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush. That tasks will be very difficult to do because the defense seems to lack talent in the secondary, but they must do it or they will be 0-3 for the first time since 2001.

Redskins Lose To The Eagles 33-27 On Their Home Opener

After all the hype and endless drama surrounding the first game of the 2013 season, the Redskins lose to the Philadelphia Eagles 33-27. For the Redskins, it was a tale of two halves.
 

In the first half, the defense looked overwhelmed on the Eagles up-tempo offense and they had no answer of stopping them. They were plenty of missed tackles and poor coverage. Their only highlight of the half is the backwards pass by Eagles quarterback Michael Vick that was tipped by Ryan Kerrigan, and it resulted in a 75 yard fumble return for a touchdown by DeAngelo Hall.

On offense, RGIII looked rusty and the entire offense went completely out of sync. In fact, in the Redskins first seven plays, they had the following miscues; lost fumble by Alfred Morris, three yard run loss by Morris, penalty for illegal shift, screen pass to Morris, interception thrown by Griffin into triple coverage, pass dropped by fullback Darrel Young, and a safety that occurred when Morris bobbled a pitch in his own end zone.

Suddenly, the Redskins, who were among the league's best in taking care of the football, look like a team that needed an extra preseason game.

By halftime, the Redskins trailed 26-7, and the nightmares of the Monday Night Massacre from three years ago came into reality.

However, the Redskins did try to mount an comeback in the second half. RGIII seemed to finally got back in his rhythm by completing 2 touchdowns passes to Leonard Hankerson. The defense finally slowed down the Eagles offense and made some key stops to keep the Redskins in the game. But the slow start in the first half was too big of a hole to overcome.

Three observations to point out of this game.

Chip Kelly's Offense Has Major Flaws: It appears that the Eagles offense was tired in the second half because they ran over 50 plays in the first half. The offense scored only one touchdown in the entire second half . I'm not sure if Chip Kelly's offense would be sustainable all season. He's going to need a lot of young fit players to run the fast paced offense for a full 60 minutes, and that's tough to do in the 16 game season. Also, Vick was exposed to some big hits, and if Kelly's offense doesn't slow down, Vick may not last the entire season again. Finally, his defense played prevent during the second half and allowed the Redskins to get back in the game late in the fourth quarter.

RGIII Wasn't 100%, But Still Looked Effective: RGIII looked like a player that didn't play football for eight months. He was rusty, and didn't had a quickness like he has last year, and therefore, he was sacked three times. Griffin did improve in the second half, and showed some promise. Although he didn't blame the loss on his rust, it will take a couple more weeks for him to adjust. On the bright side, he still threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns while playing on one leg. Just imagine what he could do when he's 100% healthy.

Dr. James Andrews Is Clueless: I have lost all of my respect for Dr. James Andrews. If he said that RGIII was 100% ready for Monday Night's game, then why RGIII looked very tentative? Did the coaches told Griffin to not scramble? And what did they exactly saw out of him during the training camp?

As much as I love RGIII as a football player, he shouldn't been starting until week 6 in my opinion. He played on one leg for most of the game on Monday.

Next Week's game: at. Green Bay
Time & Date: @1pm on Fox: WTTG-TV (Washington D.C.)

The Redskins go on the road to Green Bay in week 2 and the Packers will be coming off a frustrating loss on the road versus the 49ers. One of these two playoff teams from last year will start the season 0-2. If the Redskins want to get back on the winning track, they will need a complete game on both sides . The defense has to contain Aaron Rodgers and his receivers, which is a very tough task on any given week. The offense has to get the running game going to establish the passing attack and the read option. Without the ground attack, RGIII will be struggling all day and the read option becomes useless.

Also, the turnover battle will be very important, and whoever wins that battle will most likely get the victory.


Prediction: Redskins: 31, Packers: 28.

Fearless Predictions For The 2013 NFL Season

As the NFL season officially starts tomorrow night at Denver, this will be a good time to deliver my fearless predictions for the upcoming season. Listed below are my predictions for the division winners, wild card teams, and super bowl 48 picks from both conferences. Please feel free to comment if you agree or disagree with my picks.


Note: * = Wild Card Team
            Division winner is listed in Bold


AFC East
1. Patriots (12-4)
2. Bills (9-7)
3. Dolphins (8-8)
4. Jets (4-12)

AFC North
1. Bengals (11-5)
2. Ravens (10-6)*
3. Steelers (9-7)
4. Browns (5-11)

AFC South
1. Texans (12-4)
2. Colts (11-5)*
3. Titans (7-9)
4. Jaguars (4-12)

AFC West
1. Broncos (13-3)
2. Chiefs (8-8)
3. Chargers (6-10)
4. Raiders (3-13)

NFC East
1. Giants (10-6)
2. Redskins (10-6)*
3. Eagles (8-8)
4. Cowboys (6-10)

NFC North
1. Packers (11-5)
2. Bears (9-7)
3. Lions (7-9)
4. Vikings (7-9)

NFC South
1. Falcons (12-4)
2. Saints (9-7)*
3. Panthers (8-8)
4. Buccaneers (5-11)

NFC West
1. 49ers (13-3)
2. Rams (9-7)
3. Seahawks (8-8)
4. Cardinals (4-12)

AFC Wild Card
(3) Patriots over  (6) Ravens
(4) Bengals over (5) Colts

NFC Wild Card
(5) Redskins over (4) Giants
(6) Saints over (3) Packers

AFC Divisional
(1) Broncos over Bengals
(3) Patriots over (2) Texans

NFC Divisional
(1) 49ers over (6) Saints
(5) Redskins over (2) Falcons

AFC Championship
(1) Broncos over (3) Patriots

NFC Championship
(1) 49ers over (5) Redskins

Super Bowl XLVIII
49ers over Broncos

Despite Concerns, RGIII Will Start On Week 1

Despite unconfirmed reports from national reporters and some confusion from the head coach and team doctor last week, the Washington Redskins made it official yesterday that quarterback Robert Griffin III will start on week 1 vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. The announcement came from head coach Mike Shanahan.  Griffin's start on week 1 this Monday will complete his miraculous recovery from his ACL and LCL injury on his right knee.

 

Here are parts of Shanahan’s press conference from yesterday.  It starts at the 22 second mark.

While I am still concerned about Grffin's health on his right knee, I have to trust the organization and pray for the best beginning next week. The coaching staff, the team doctor, and Griffin himself said that he’s 100% ready. Since Griffin hasn't played in the preseason, we will find out whether if he has any rust on the field.

However, this will be not only the most anticipated season opening home game in over 20 years, but likely the most anticipated game of  Week 1. Thanks to Griffin's stellar rookie season and getting all of the national and local attention on his recovery, the Redskins are going to be a national draw all season.

On a final note, the NFL and ESPN has announced that the Eagles vs. Redskins game has been moved to a 6:55p.m. kickoff. If your planning on going to Fedex Field this Monday, please plan accordingly.

Richard Crawford Is Out For The Season

The scoreboard and statistics did show a convincing 30 to 7 victory for the Redskins over the Buffalo Bills, but in reality, they have suffered a major loss to their special teams unit. 

Richard Crawford, the Redskins main kickoff and punt returner, suffered a torn LCL and ACL in his right knee while returning a punt late in the first quarter. Crawford will miss the entire 2013 season.

This injury is a major blow to the Redskins. Crawford show a lot of promise last season, and without his long punt return vs the Ravens last season, it's highly possible that the Redskins will never made the playoffs that year. Also, Crawford was improving as a cornerback all offseason because he work with Darrell Green.

Also, the sad thing about his injury is that Crawford’s made a poor decision. During his punt return, there was nowhere to go and instead of just taking a fair catch, he tries to go backward, goes left, and then he gets tackled awkwardly.  Even though he got up and limped off the field, you could tell something was seriously wrong. 

This was a tough break for a young player like Crawford, and he will learn his lesson the hard way all season.

With Crawford out, Redskins will have to rely on rookie Chris Thompson, Skye Dawson, and Nick Williams to compete for the punt and kickoff return job.

Finally, this injury is another reason why the NFL needs to eliminate all preseason games.