Advertising Osaka Style

The New England Patriots kicked the baskets out from under the Washington Grocery Baggers last night, 48-18. 

Hooray for the NFL. They welcomed back Mike Vrabel. The Washington Commanders went along with the advertising campaign and played guys who probably are not going to be on the team. Good for ticket sales in New England.  

The Commanders are team players.  

The game did nothing to prepare either team for the season. New England got a false positive. Washington got a big false negative. The game represented a genuflection to NFL Marketing. Period. They had a field day. Everybody else was injured severely in the preparation department.

Delusions are a dime a dozen during preseason. Fans should not take unserious games such as the travesty on display last night as anything other than NFL Bait and Switch Marketing. To get the fans going over a fictional act of sarcasm. 

I agree with people who say the bad night at special teams was an aberration. There is never a game off for Special Teams. Unfortunately, they took this night off. Who can blame them. You knew going in with Washington sitting starters and New England starting starters it was going to be shameful. 

Give credit to the Special Teamers for recognizing there was no real investment in the game from the coaches. Why do they have to play when everybody else is eating snow cones?

They sat guys. So the whole team sat itself. Just human nature. And the predictable battering is false advertising for New England Fans. That's why it stinks. It mocks the fans.

Well. A few guys stood out. But why jinx it by naming them? There was a rookie who showed he found the game nauseating. He should start somewhere. He doesn't need "inner work". He is already mentally prepared. 

There were a couple rookies we know Adam Peters and Company did hard work researching. The so-called "veteran" rookies. People who played a lot in college. They played well. No brain fog. 

Josh Johnson should play the great bulk of game two. He knows what he's doing. These young receivers need that to have a full opportunity to express themselves. So whether Jayden or Marcus starts, coaches should skip the Practice Squad QB so guys can get film out there that better represents their skills. 

And they should redo Terry''s Deal. One year. Base salary twenty million. Signing bonus 10 million. 5 million in incentives. Total achievable salary 35 million. 30 million guaranteed. Terry gets paid for services rendered during the Snyder Plague. He gets to set his worth before free agency. 

But remember. NFL Marketing gets final say on who gets beat the hell out of in preseason.   

The Water Cooler: Bits on Martavis Bryant

It's hard not to root for Martavis Bryant. 

Coming back from suspension. Lost weight. Hoping to earn his way back. I hope he does it.

Two numbers to remember for him are 94 and 88. 

Here's a look at Martavis's career TDs.

Nothing like a veteran ball player coming back from mistakes.

To say nothing of the value a veteran receiver has for a young QB. John Madden used to say every receiver gets better running routes as they get older.

Could be a steel for the Commanders.

The Water Cooler

Washington Commanders Training Camp has opened. Time to gather around the water cooler. Check some people's post-it notes.

Clean Pocket

Street Scores

John Keim

Colin Cowherd--Division Title

Colin Cowherd--Wild Card

Dan Quinn Coach of the Year 

Watchin' Film with Phil

Top NFC East Storylines 

The Rumor Mill is hot and heavy. Wild Predictions dominate the airwaves. Commanders: Super Bowl Champs!!!

Does anybody really know what is going to happen? 

Kicking Custer's Ass

The question of the Washington NFL Franchise's nickname is still open according to some. I am going to try to present a shamanic interpretation of the word "Redskin" and argue in support of the nickname. Do a little vision-questing.

Woke Postulate: The term "Redskin" represents the extermination of Native America. Retort: The claim Native Americans were exterminated like pests is false. Native America still exists and was not wiped out. That claim is White Narcissism. 

In other words, the claims of the Woke Community that Native Americans were victims of White Supremacy is a "projection" of the Woke Community's own supremacist/narcissist ideation. The defensive self-infatuation of the Woke White. "I'm not like that."

You are precisely THAT. Claiming the Natives were wiped out is a declaration of victory by Woke Whites. The True Supremacists.

Native America still exists because of an insurgency led by people the Whites, out of frustration and stress related brain fog, called "Redskins". You don't trash talk someone you are routing. You trash talk someone who is kicking your ass. 

It is unsurprising some Natives adopted the name proudly because they knew intuitively it was an expression of defeat on the part of the Whites. "I am a Redskin" equaled "I am your ass-kicker."

Somebody somewhere, it wasn't me, said something like "Isn't every Cowboy game an exercise in kicking Custer's ass?" A Little Bighorn re-enactment?

Football is just a game. I don't know that it is the proper venue for understanding history. Or keeping memory alive.

But isn't it interesting an attempt was made to wipe out the memory of the Washington Redskins. George Armstrong Custer and Andrew Jackson, citing supremacist moral authority, attempted to wipe out real Native America. They can't even allow the vaguest notion of an insurgent Native America. That would indeed contradict the narcissistic myth of manifest destiny and American Conquistadorial Exceptionalism.

Maybe there is a deeper down unconscious Jungian thing going on. That the extermination of the Washington Redskins symbolizes the successful extermination of Native Americans.  

Woke America no doubt would have made Custer proud.

It seems to me John Riggins, in his recent post at MegaRiggins, was correct in that the Washington NFL Franchise should negotiate with the Tribes. Part ownership. Profit sharing. Taking an active role in Native concerns. The disappearances of Native women and children. Putting a Native American on the Board.

And in some way celebrating the fact Native America is still alive, was not exterminated, and ultimately will flourish again. 

Just what we fans want for the Redskin Football Team.

Good Signs and Well Wishes

I guess Ron Rivera created some controversy in his recent press conference. He said some players came to him and expressed concern about Eric Bieniemy's intensity.

Which lead to complaints in some circles about him airing out the family's business.

If I thought what coaches said in press conferences was dispositive, I would myself have a problem with EB. I don't think press conferences mean much outside of injury reports.

Players bitching about new coaches, especially good ones, is not new. I'm glad it is happening now instead of half way through the season. If I have a complaint about Rivera's teams, it is that it took too long for the light bulbs to turn on. Things that should have been ironed out in preseason didn't get solved until 8 or 9 games into the year, well after playoffs were possible.

Some wanted him to keep his mouth shut, but I'm glad Rivera brought this up. It tells me Bieniemy's approach is working. If the players did not complain, it would probably mean everybody was OK with the status quo. In denial about losing. 

But this is a family intervention. It is obvious they needed to change. Like Apollo Creed says. It takes a big man to change. But for some, the little man inside has to whine a bit and cry for his pacifier before he can be weaned from losing.

It is a good sign because it means change is happening. This is how teams that lose emote when they change over to winning. 

It is a bad sign for our opponents. The lackadaisical attitude they could count on from Washington isn't going to be there anymore. I'm all for creating anxiety in our opponents. Taking away their creature comforts when they play us is a good thing.

The Commanders will adjust. It's like the Dark Night of the Soul. It's like Math Anxiety. The frustration has to reach the breaking point. Then insight dawns.

And it is happening IN PRESEASON when it absolutely SHOULD BE happening.

This week's Browns Game should be fun. I really want to see the running game. And the new fellas. See how the punt return game is coming. 

I wish the guys the best. Everybody show down your best. Stay healthy. And may the Football Gods bless you on your journey.

Put the Media in Rehab and Let's Go

I'm wondering what we, meaning the Washington Commanders, should do against the Browns this week. 

How much do you want to show in a preseason game? What prejudices do you want your 2023 opponents to develop about you strategically? Maybe nothing. Maybe just do basics. Run. Pass. Block. Tackle. That's it.

I would like to see all our running backs play. All our O-linemen. Maybe show a little success to get an early bite on play action for the 2023 season. 

In the passing game, I'd like to see some deep balls. Some tight end involvement. A well-executed screen. Things that start opponents worrying about us. Nothing fancy. Stuff everybody else runs. Focus on execution from everybody.

It might be interesting to watch for a mental contagion sprouting up with regard to turnovers. I'm hearing Kam Curl is all of a sudden picking balls off in practice. The Coaching Staff has posted their expectation that the defense come up with more turnovers. They drafted Emmanuel Forbes, a notorious thief in College. Maybe the vets don't want the rookie stealing their thefts, so to speak. 

Don't forget Chase Young created turnovers his rookie year. So as much as sacks, we ought to trace Chase's turnover harvest.

Hopefully, creating turnovers goes viral on defense this year. Young people maybe don't remember or weren't alive at the time but the 1983 Redskin team went bananas on turnovers. They had a crazy plus ratio. That was the best Redskin team in history. The one that didn't win the Super Bowl. Theismann's MVP Year.

An early test positive on turnovers would be good.

Media is breaking negative on Sam Howell and the Offensive Line. 

I'm thinking Sam will at the base be on track with Daniel Jones' first year. But let's back up and include some Redskin History here. Sam is an RPO QB with a little pocket passing mixed in. The RPO Era arguably began in earnest with Robert Griffin III and the Shanahans with the 2012 Washington Redskins. 

Ostensibly, the Shanahans implemented the Pistol and the Zone Read because QBs at the time in College Football just weren't being taught NFL Quarterbacking. Instead of expecting quarterbacks to adjust to them, they adjusted to the quarterbacks. What they were doing. How they played their best game.

The RPO Game makes it easier for College Quarterbacks to play right away in the NFL. The League adopted the Shanahan adaptation and that's why watching Anthony Richardson this year could be scintillating.

The Passing game is built off the play fake which itself is built off a successful running game. It really was genius to meld together the Zone Read with the conservative short passing game of Bill Walsh. Conservative Coaches who don't like a lot of turnovers love it because the passing game is really a lengthened running game.

And you take your occasional deep shot.

We have the running game in Washington to make that trend work here. Ground the offense in the running game. Do concentric circles from there. Feed off it. Sam has the arm for deep shots. He'll be OK. And there's potential for Better Than OK.

Because most RPO plays don't take long to develop, the RPO game is kinder to the Offensive Line. 

Much hay was made about how the Washington D-Line roughed up the O-Line this week. The NFC East defensive lines are very similar to ours in Washington. They are good, fast, strong troublemakers every last man of them. May as well face it now. In fact, things should be as disruptive in practice as possible. The games should feel like dress down day. Sandals and Hawaiian Shirts.  

To get stronger, you have to make demands above and beyond what your body can do. Eventually, it adapts. You can lift the new record. The same thing has to happen with the Washington O-Line. 

People gripe they are new. Look, it's a veteran group. Not their first rodeo. They know the NFL. They know what they are getting into. It is not 5 rookies. A few are young. I wish they were younger. I wish the team had developed the O-Line like they developed the D-Line. Didn't happen.

The situational football fact of the matter is, they do not have to be great to have success. I know with the Media everyone has to have been to 10 Pro Bowls and only be 23 years old. Not happening.

This time of year I wouldn't listen to or watch Washington Media. They are still addicted to Dan Snyder. They're like dry drunks having no spouse to abuse. This team could win the Super Bowl and they'd still talk about Snyder. 

It might be worth checking them out midway through the season. Maybe the Detox will be done by then. Now? Still in Denial. Everybody's a bum to them and they're looking for somebody to punch.

Don't they have 9 Round Fitness in D.C.?

Riggo is Back

John Riggins posted to his MegaRiggins YouTube channel. 

He spoke of current events in the Land of Burgundy and Gold. I'm one who hopes he chimes in this season. Once a week. Once a month. Take what we can get.

The Man has a good life. Doesn't need football as an enhancement. We need him more than he needs us. Just like Doc, Joey T, and Coach Gibbs. 

The Founders.

The Washington Burgundy and Gold

The team Nickname is coming up again. 

I was a Redskin fan since 1969. I started as a kid. Socialized to accept the nickname.

The Nickname though means something different to some Native Americans than it does to D.C. Football fans. We are not living in an age of free speech. Authoritarians are in charge of our country and our universities. The outrage they will post should Washington revert to the Redskin nickname would be an unnecessary distraction and a valueless political mess serving no one.

I don't mean to become an apologist for the nickname. But the word Redskin seems to have emerged in the minds of white conquistadors who were irritated by Native American resistance to White Land Use improvements. A Redskin in that light was an insurrectionist. It was good to be an insurrectionist working to retard White conquest.

The same dynamic occurs in the N-Word. White mental retardation was irritated by Black Resistance to slavery so it fulminated the N-Word. Once it emanated from mule-faced anglo saxons, Black Americans took pride in the fact they were irritating the oppressors. The N-Word used among Blacks was a celebration of the essential fact that they were existentially free and the N-Word in the mouth of a white man was an unconditional surrender to that truth. 

This is why some Native Americans are not bothered by the nickname and why the N-Word can be heard among some Black Americans.

Basing your identity on your capacity to irritate others is not universally effective because not everyone is an oppressor. Nor are insults concretized incantations that wound like boulders. Insults are a form of mental weakness. In football, as in life, it is good to be mentally tough. It is better not to speak at all if all you have to say is an insult. It is not that you aren't achieving your goal of destabilizing the person whose existence you reject. Maybe you are. But you are nakedly confessing that you are stupid and weak.

But shutting you up is your job not anyone else's. Why free speech works is it allows people to say stupid things and thereby organize themselves out of the loop. At the same time it allows for the intrusion of truth and the possibility for its acceptance. You should always allow the idiot to put his idiocy on full display and the genius to warn of the oncoming train. The idiot and the genius are intertwined. 

In the present environment, everyone is an oppressor. Ignorance is universally stipulated. Language must be politically correct. Inoffensive. Overly polite to works of fiction or fantasy realities. This is why science is in deep trouble. Facts are too oppressive to be admitted. A bodyguard of lies is necessary. It is like giving yourself a lobotomy. And apparently in this age of Authoritarian Rule one is morally obligated to stupidify oneself into a complete brain fog.

The Redskin Players and Coaches were not on the whole blazing racists and Klan Rally attendees. They weren't perfect. But they had moments of social relevance and sublime moments of competitive football. The history of those moments is worth preserving. And if Authoritarian Rule disallows the use of the word "Redskin", it ought to allow an inoffensive alternative which at the same time calls to mind the rich football history of the Washington Franchise.

That nickname to me, as well as to others, is "Burgundy and Gold". It's not my invention. The players used it themselves. It was a matter of pride to put on those colors. If you wore those colors in the Seventies, Eighties, and Nineties, you were part of something special. Three decades of it.

Not a wave of racist animosity. But years of good football. 

That is what we want to get back to in Washington. A Washington football-related nickname is my preference.

Infusion Therapy Results in Super Bowl Cogitations

Training camp has opened up for the Washington Commanders and there is an energy surge of palpable proportions.

One fan was able to light fluorescent bulbs with his fingers he was so juiced.

Prediction: Super Bowl, Baby.

Well now it is irresponsible, naive and ignorant to predict a Super Bowl Champeenship for the Commanders in Josh Harris' first year. But that's what I am doing.

I'm picking the longest of long shots to win the Super Bowl. Some how(ell). Some way.

I'm picking C-Rod over B-Rob in receiving yards. B-Rob over AG in rushing yards. AG over Logan Thomas in receiving yards. Chase Young over Montez in sacks.

And stunningly, Chase Young over Emmanuel Forbes in total turnovers harvested.

Jahan Dotson leads the league in red zone TDs. Scary Terry over 1,500 yards receiving. Sam Howell 500 yards rushing.

All in one game against the Cowboys.

It's good to be home.