Wanted: Yahoo! Sports Winter Olympics Bloggers for U.S. and Canada
By Jamie Mottram | November 3, 2009
I’m not around much to blog much this week but wanted to chime in with this ad for my day job over at Yahoo!. Here to do just that is Yahoo! Sports blog editor and figure skating enthusiast Mark Pesavento.
Yahoo! Sports is looking for temporary-yet-full-time bloggers for its Olympics blog, Fourth-Place Medal. These bloggers will write about anything interesting having to do with the Vancouver Games, both during the lead-up in January and the Games themselves in February.
The ideal candidates will …
- be able to flat-out write.
- have a flexible schedule in February.
- enjoy and know about the Winter Games.
- have a knack for media (and particularly TV) criticism.
- be able to identify interesting angles for a mass audience.
- have blog experience as they will be self-edited/published.
- produce ~50 excellent posts per week (see the YSB for examples).
Additionally, we’re seeking an individual based in Canada to blog on Fourth-Place Medal for Yahoo!’s Canadian audience. Location is important here: We need someone who can watch the Games on Canadian television and react accordingly.
Fourth-Place Medal did 85 million page views during the Beijing Games, and we’re looking to improve on that. If you fit the bill and are up for the challenge, or know someone who is, email YSB editor Mark Pesavento.
Topics: Yahoo! Sports, Blog Stuffs | 2 Comments »
Joe Jacoby Is the Best Frankenstein Ever
By Jamie Mottram | October 30, 2009
I love me some Joe Jacoby, so I had to share Matt Terl’s tremendous find:
Happy Halloween, folks. You see 66 out there, you give him some candy.
Topics: Joe Jacoby, Redskins | 2 Comments »
DMV: Make It Happen, Angry Skins Fans
By Jamie Mottram | October 30, 2009
This is a flawed movement (shouldn’t it be “FIRE VINNY“?) but one we’ll support nonetheless. A disgruntled Skins fan has color coordinated the upper deck seats on both sides of FedEx Field to spell out two “FIRE SNYDER” signs for the November 15 game against Denver. (Also, the yellow should be white, but whatever. Still awesome.) [Fire Snyder Sign]
Update: The background has been changed to white. Thanks, guys.
More sad tales of Redskins fan signage. [D.C. Sports Bog 1, 2 and 3]
Five things the Redskins should try to mix it up. [TWT’s Redskins Insider]
An odd lotto ad in which “Snyder” gets tarred, feathered. [D.C. Sports Bog]
Cooley “promised a sponge bath” by Christy the nurse. [Chris Cooley]
Skins COO David Donovan talks to a Skins blog. [Hogs Haven]
P-Rad reports from the Wizards’ Thursday practice. [Bullets Forever]
Bill Simmons praises Wes Unseld, calls Elvin Hayes “a dog.” [TWT]
Caps beat Thrashers 4-3 despite a lackluster effort. [Capitals Insider]
Ten notes on the Caps win, including Ovi’s near-hat trick. [Japers’ Rink]
Sean Avery is insensitive to Bruce Boudreau’s body issues. [Puck Daddy]
O’s make it official, decline Melvin Mora’s 2010 contract. [The Sun]
J.J. Redick is making a rap album. Also, I kinda like him now. [With Leather]
Sorry I missed it: Andrew Bird’s 9:30 Club performance. [DCist]
Topics: DMV, Snyder Sucks, Redskins | 3 Comments »
Defending Albert Haynesworth Yet Again: He’s Playing About 75% of the Snaps
By Chris Mottram | October 29, 2009
I was unfortunate enough to have ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown on in the background before the embarrassment at FedEx this week. The “analysts” — Mike Ditka, Keyshawn Johnson, Cris Carter, Tom Jackson — started the show by taking turns shitting on the Redskins via the infinite wisdom they’ve acquired from having played or coached the game some time ago followed by years of being casual observers, paid to give opinions based on nothing more than their “I Played in the Nat-i-null Foot-bawl League” membership card.
Here was the best of the bunch: Ditka’s thoughts on the signing of Albert Haynesworth:
You bring in a guy for 100 million dollars — 40-something guaranteed — and the guy can’t play. And you knew it. If you’d asked Tennessee, they’d told you he’s not worth that amount of money. He plays 25-30 plays a game, IF he plays at all. And payin’ him that kind of money. He’s gonna make you better? Come on.
Everything after the word “guaranteed” is wrong. Haynesworth “can’t play”? He was widely consider one of the best defensive players in the league after last season. He finished fourth in Defensive POY voting. The entire argument is complete fiction. And Remember: This LED the show. That quote you see above was the first bit of analysis on Monday Night Countdown. That was the best they’ve got. And it’s total fucking horseshit.
Via Ryan O’ Halloran at the Times (we suggest you follow him on Twitter), here are the number of snaps Haynesworth has played in each game this season, compared to the total number of snaps the defense played:
NYG 46 of 64 = 72%
Stl 45 of 53 = 85%
Det 36 of 79 = 46%
TB 45 of 57 = 80%
Car 50 of 63 = 80%
KC 56 of 74 = 76%
Phila 42 of 58 = 72%
TOTAL:Â 73%
Not once has Haynesworth only played “25-30 plays” this season. Even in the Lions game, in which he was hurt (like, actually hurt, not “I need a breather” hurt), he was in on 36 plays.
Don’t get me wrong: Haynesworth takes breaks. We all see him on the sideline on occasion, gasping for air, grabbing an ankle, whatever. But keep in mind: This is a 350+ pound defensive tackle going up against double-teams all game. So, he is essentially attempting to push about 600-700 pounds of human backwards about 45-50 times a game. That’s exhausting.
I don’t have the numbers, but I would guess that the percentage of snaps played by massive tackles who routinely go against double-teams throughout the league is very similar to Haynesworth’s. Just because he is being paid superhuman money doesn’t mean he isn’t human. Give the man a break. Shit.
(I realize Ditka saying something illogical is not uncommon, but I hear a similar argument to the one presented here fairly often, so consider this post just a general address to the haters.)
Previously: Albert Haynesworth Is Underachieving, According to ESPN’s NFC East Blog
Topics: Albert Haynesworth, Media Bird Doggin', ESPN's Finest, Redskins | 13 Comments »
DMV: Chris Cooley Pulls Back the Curtain
By Jamie Mottram | October 29, 2009
Another reason why their blog is awesome: Li’l bro Tanner chronicles Chris’ Tuesday morning tibia surgery in Baltimore, which Zorn was there for (with bonus audio of a doped-up call to Elliot in the Morning). This is the good stuff, folks. [Chris Cooley]
An excellent analysis of JC’s performance. [Field Gulls]
Skins’ biggest problem is a lack of solidarity. That, or Snyder. [Sally Jenkins]
Carl Lewis, Bruce Smith were in Snyder’s box Monday night. [Reliable Source]
Tuesday’s Caps/Flyers game set a ratings record for Versus. [Puck Daddy]
For now, Jose Theodore is the Caps’ main man in goal. [Japers’ Rink]
Caps winger Quintin Laing has the swine flu. [Caps Insider]
Eleven burning Caps questions after their first 11 games. [DC Landing Strip]
Ten things learned from the Wizards’ first game. [DC Landing Strip]
Looks like Young Sushi and Epic Vale won’t be playing much. [Wiz Insider]
Gilbert to Leonsis: “I’m a proud black panther!” [Ted’s Take]
A reality show about “die-hard Nats fans” is in the works. Really. [DCist]
Georgetown is the only local team in the preseason top 25. [D1scourse]
Wow: Ron Artest’s “Georgetown Girl” rap video. [Casual Hoya]
Politico’s owner is starting up a 50-person site covering D.C. [City Desk]
Topics: DMV, Chris Cooley, Redskins | 4 Comments »
The Real Reason for Epic Redskins Fail
By Jamie Mottram | October 28, 2009
Vinny Cerrato said this when asked about his team’s failing offensive line:
We tried to address the line. We added [Derrick] Dockery. We added Mike Williams. We attempted to, and when we were in the draft, there was nobody at No. 13 worthy of it.
So they added Dockery and Williams, which is hardly better than the departed LG-RT combo of Pete Kendall and Jon Jansen. It also says nothing of Chris Samuels and Randy Thomas being old and injury prone, or that Williams was out of the NFL. Or that the line sucked to begin with.
But that last part (”when we were in the draft, there was nobody at No. 13 worthy of it”) really chaps my ass. The Redskins had five picks remaining after 13, and none were used on offensive (or defensive) linemen.
Which is right in line with Cerrato and Dan Snyder’s M.O. this decade:
Read it and weep, Skins fans. Washington has drafted more quarterbacks (seven) than defensive linemen (six) during the ’00s. They’ve spent twice as much value* on defensive backs (57) as offensive linemen (29). And they’ve drafted 13 wide receivers and tight ends, only one of whom — Chris Cooley — is any good.
Beyond anything else (free agent signings, coaching changes, mistreated fans and media, etc.), this is what needs to change. They have to draft smarter, lest they remain stuck in their current predicament, going down in flames thanks in large part to an O-line reminiscent of five turnstiles.
So, yeah: Fire Vinny.
* A first-round pick is worth seven, a second-rounder is worth six, etc.
Topics: Fire Vinny, Spreadsheet Skillz, Infinite Sadness, Snyder Sucks, Redskins | 10 Comments »
DMV: Agent 2.0 Era Starts With a Bang
By Jamie Mottram | October 28, 2009
The Wiz, and especially Gilbert Arenas, played incredibly well in a season-opening win at Dallas. [Wizards Insider]
Five things that stood out in the Wiz’ resounding win. [Bullets Forever]
Washington beat Dallas and Philly yesterday. [DCLS]
The Caps’ win over the Flyers is their fifth win in a row. [Caps Insider]
Cooley’s surgery went well. [@tannercooley]
The Skins drinking game, ladies and lads. [Hogs Haven]
The Skins are now prohibiting tailgate interviews as well. [D.C. Sports Bog]
Dan Snyder, take Ted Leonsis’ media-relations advice. [D.C. Sports Bog]
Worthwhile: Mike Wise’s interview with the Redskins COO. [Skins Blog]
On FedEx Field sign policies, old and new. [D.C. Sports Bog]
Shut up about the signs already. [Player Hater’s Ball]
Strasburg’s third Fall League start is a beaut. [Federal Baseball]
On the Nats other future stars who’re playing in the Fall League. [TWT]
The free-agent market isn’t quite ripe for the O’s. [Peter Schmuck]
One man’s preaseason top 25 has Maryland at 23. [D1scourse]
Topics: DMV, Agent Zero, Wizards | 4 Comments »
Meet the New Snyder Sucks T-Shirt Model
By Jamie Mottram | October 27, 2009
Move over, Fitz. Sorry, Pearl Bullets. There’s a new “Snyder Sucks” t-shirt model in town. And she’s a lady:
The smirk, the knit cap, the birdies … striking. And you can be too for the low, low price of $17.90!
Bonus: More anti-Skins tees over at the Bog, including our own “Fire Vinny.”
(Thanks to WaPo editor Jon DeNunzio for the pic, copped from Facebook.)
Topics: T-Shirts, Snyder Sucks, Redskins | 3 Comments »