The Redskins Blog

Ten Tips For A Terrific Tailgate At The Stadium

admin — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Like anything else to be a great hit , you must do great planning. The same goes for having one of the best tailgates. Plan everything ahead, makes a checklist if it helps. Here are some helpful tips.

Designated Driver

You should always have a designated driver planned in advance. At least someone who is not going to plan on drinking all day.

Purchase Your Parking In Advance

To avoid driving from lot to lot, spending all your cash on parking at a cash lot, trying to tell your friends where you are, you should always purchase a pre-paid pass.Check out this link here.

Get There Early

The best spots always fill up first so you want to get there early. Most pre-paid parking spots open up anywhere from four to six hours early.

Purchase Alcohol In Advance

Most places are not allowed to sell alcohol on Sundays. So be sure to purchased all your beverages in advance.

Know Your Menu

Plan your menu and prepare as much of your food in advance that you can.

Bring Bottled Water

You should freeze your water in advance. You will appriciate having it when you want to sober up.

Plan To Have Food Ready

You will want to eat and have everything cleaned up before kick off. So plan to cook ahead of time so you don’t run out of time to get to the stadium and miss the kick off.

Show Spirit

Show plenty of spirit for your team. Fly flags, wear shirts with your team on it, etc. Not only will you be supporting your team, but your late arrivers will be able to locate you as well.

Bring Games

You might want to bring a football for some of the guys to throw around. You can also play cornhole or beer pong.

Bring Trash Bags

Bring plenty of trash bags so that you can clean your mess up!

How To Dress Like A Hogette

admin — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Sooie! Calling all Washington Redskin Hogettes and Hogette wannabees; it-s time to “drag’ out your Hogette paraphernalia and get yourselves over to the Pig Pen for some good old fashion, roll-in-the-mud type fun! Here are a few fashion tips for the aspiring Hogette:

Dress
Wear the tackiest dress you can find. If you are TV fan of boomer age, think Mrs. Roper from Three-s Company. If you-re under 25, The Nanny-s mom or Madea are good role models.

Pig Snout
A must-have accessory no aspiring Hogette would be caught dead without.

Footwear
Tube socks in Redskin yellow and red are a must, but high heels are optional. Those pesky hooves can be so annoying sometimes!

Wig
Blond, curly-haired wigs are the best just don-t get mistaken for one of those big-haired Texan women, just saying.

Accessories
It has been said that the only thing separating us from the animals is our ability to accessorize. Therefore, feel free to add sunglasses to protect yourself from the glare of greatness or your boss at work. Other accessories include beads, sashes, boas, although boas may interfere with fist-pumping, so proceed cautiously.

White Hat
The quintessential sign of a “good guy’, this accessory is a must for those aspiring to the true essence of a Hogette. Mind your P-s and Querlicues unless you want to be known as a rogue Hogette.

How will you know if you-ve achieved Hog Couture?
If little kids mistake you for Miss Piggy, you-ve arrived in Hogette Fashion Heaven.

Redskins In The Hall of Fame

admin — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As one might expect from a football franchise with as rich a history as the Redskins, there are a number of Redskin players and coaches in the Hall of Fame. In total there are twenty-six players and coaches who spent time with the organization, but some earned their Hall of Fame stripes with other teams.

One iconic coach that earned his Hall of Fame status with the Redskins is Joe Gibbs. While he coached the Redskins two separate times, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame based on his first twelve year stint from 1981 to 1992. Another iconic Redskin coach, George Allen, actually earned his early Hall of Fame credentials with the Los Angeles Rams, but he spent his final eight years developing his credentials with the Redskins. Ray Flaherty was one the early Redskin coaches inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The many memorable players that earned their Hall of Fame stripes with the Redskins include Cliff Battles, Sammy Baugh, Albert Glen (Turk) Edwards, Darrell Green, Chris Hanburger, Ken Houston, Sonny Jurgensen, Wayne Millner, Bobby Mitchell, Charley Taylor, Art Monk, and the unforgettable Jon Riggins.

George Preston Marshall was an original owner of the Redskins, first named the Boston Braves. His dynamic personality and willingness to take chances earned him a well deserved spot in the Hall of fame as an owner.

Reasons We’re Watching all the Games at Home This Year…

admin — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Sure there-s something to be said for taking in a Skins game in person but who wants to ride the train all the way out to Baltimore just to freeze their tuckus off? Here are a few of our reasons for watching all the games at home this year
Better Viewing Experience: If you-ve got Direct or any other NFL carrier you-re going to get better views and commentary at home than you are in the stadium. Playback buttons and Red Zone coverage mean you get to relive the Skins- greatest plays and turn to another game when the action is slow.
Cheaper Eats: Stadium food is notorious for being overpriced and nowhere more so than at a Skins game. 11 for a hot dog? Make some finger foods on the cheap and keep the chips and dip around for the whole game. Don-t worry about sweat or spilled beer in your nachos, either.
Fairweather Fans: If you-re the type to get really agitated at a football game, it-s probably better you stayed home anyway. Yell and cry in the comfort of your own living room but remember not to invite anyone over who-ll give you a hard time the next day.

Underwhelming Under Center

www.theredskinsblog.com — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Surveying the ruins of another failed storming of the playoff castle, 2010 was not without its high points. Unfortunately, the play under center, which was expected to provide a steadying hand to an otherwise question mark offense, quickly soured from asset to liability. In his first season with the ‘Skins, Donovan McNabb turned in the worst quarterback rating since his rookie year in 1999, plummeting from 92.9 in 2009 to 77.1 in 2010. While the statistics calculation may be a bit mind boggling to everyday football fans, his year appears less than impressive even to the naked eye. Completing under 60 of his passes and hurling 15 interceptions to just 14 touchdowns, one would be tough pressed to find any metrics by which McNabb’s stint in Washington could be deemed a success.So with the Redskins season now ended prematurely, the question remains, will 5 be back for an encore in burgundy and gold? In November, McNabb signed a 5-year contract extension worth 70 million, as much as 88.5 million if all incentives are reached (they won’t be). While a contract extension may sound like a commitment last summer’s hottest name in DC football circles, in the backwards world of NFL contracts, it actually makes it less likely Redskins faithful will see McNabb suit up in 2011. Due just 3.5 million in guarantees, Washington brass will save themselves a 10 million option bonus, not to mention the remainder of the contract, if McNabb is released this off-season.Considering McNabb was relegated to the bench to close the year, it’s highly unlikely, at least in this opinion, Mike Shanahan will opt to continue the course with a QB who became the subject of so much debate during the Redskins’ demise. Still in only his second season on the Washington sidelines, Shanahan knows as well as anyone how closely a coach’s tenure is tied with his signal caller. Look for Gabbert if he falls in the draft, perhaps even Ryan Mallett or Cam Newton, as more likely options to begin their careers in the nation’s capital than Donovan is to return to the Redskins.

The Elephant in Maroon

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:24:25 +0000

Even when discussing the positive notes of the Redskins off-season, besides the depressing fact that the high point may be the 42-17 drubbing of the lowly Buffalo Bills in Preseason Week 1 action, it’s hard for anyone to mention Washington football without the massive shadow of Albert Haynesworth somehow clouding the conversation. As opposed to the “elephant in the room,” which everyone has on their mind but no one makes public mention of, “the elephant in maroon” has ballooned into quite the opposite situation, permeating all media coverage of the Redskins. Starting with his initial opposition to implementing the 3-4 defense, subsequently collecting his money before making demands to be moved, Haynesworth has grabbed unwanted headlines all summer long. His discontent was continued as his oversized frame was noticeably absent from Redskins off-season workout programs. When Haynesworth finally set foot on-field to practice with his teammates come time for training camp, the multimillion dollar athlete (loose use of the word) was unable to pass a requisite conditioning test. It’s fair to mention this test is far from the famed Jerry Rice iron man workout up and down Bay Area hills, merely a timed 300-yard shuttle run to be completed twice, with necessary completion time adjusted by position. In fact, the test wouldn’t have even been an issue had he simply shown up for the off-season conditioning program.Haynesworth’s off-season gone wrong is culminating with speculation over how much the big fellow has actually practiced in the seasons past, not to mention the revelation of a mysterious case of “rhabdomyolysis,” a medical condition that has caused him to miss three days of practice this Preseason. Shanahan claims if he can’t practice, he won’t play, no matter what he has gotten away with in the pass, and seemed to make light of his condition, referencing it as a headache. Bear in mind, Mike Shanahan was not with the Skins when Dan Snyder decided to pay Fat Albert the big bucks, and the relationship between the two has been strained in the head coach’s first few months. It would serve the Redskins well, players, coaches and fans alike, if the general conversation surrounding “the elephant in maroon” died down as the regular season quickly approaches.

Redskins “Skill” Positions Use the Term Lightly

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:59:36 +0000

Despite the addition of Donovan McNabb, in order for this Redskins squad to make any progress in Mike Shanahan’s first year, the team is going to need major impact seasons from its so-called skill positions. As it’s been chronicled, with a combined 24 seasons of NFL service, it’s fair to assume there’s a general sense of what to expect from the running back committee. Even if the Wild Hogs (in reference to the motorcycle movie where Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy try to recapture their youth) actually put up serviceable numbers in the backfield, it is fairly certain there will be no breakout seasons coming from the collective bunch of old-timers. In order for the Skins to take a major step, the offense will likely have to turn to its other set of skill players, the receiving corps, which in recent seasons has looked less than skilled. Santana Moss is entrenched as a starter, but the job opposite Moss is still up for grabs.Currently, the Redskins depth chart suggests second year player Anthony Armstrong, a second year player out of West Texas A&M will serve as the teams’ 2 receiver, however few fans believe this is likely to hold true throughout the season. Not to say Armstrong hasn’t earned the position thus far this off-season, he simply doesn’t have the same pedigree as some of the other receivers on the roster. Best case scenario would see Devin Thomas, a third year receiver and former first round pick out of Michigan State, finally emerge as an impact player. He showed flashes of potential in Preseason Week 1 against Buffalo, hauling in 3 catches for 61 yards and a score, though was held to just 14 yards a week later against the Ravens. Longtime veteran Joey Galloway is on the roster, however, few outside of Coach Shanahan expect him to make any on-field contribution. Malcolm Kelly also enters his third NFL season. The former Oklahoma Sooner has been dogged by injury so far this year, but if healthy, his 6’4” frame could provide a sizable red zone target, compared to the Redskins shorter receiving options.

NFC East Projections

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:47:21 +0000

Dallas Cowboys (2009: 11-5) The Cowboys will enter the season in familiar fashion, a popular pick as a Super Bowl contender among NFL fans and analysts. Dallas finally ended their post-season slump, defeating the Eagles in the first round of last year’s playoffs, the first such win in their last 6 playoff contests. An already impressive offense in 2009 only adds firepower in 2010, in the form of first round pick Dez Bryant, who could compete with Roy Williams for the number 2 spot at wide receiver as soon as he returns from a training camp injury. Miles Austin is coming off a breakout year as he leads what should be a deep receiving corps for Tony Romo to choose from. The ‘Boys have similar versatility in the backfield with the RB committee of Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Chocie.
New York Giants (2009: 8-8) The G-Men suffered through a forgettable year in 2009, but should turn the NFC East into a three team race this season. In order to do so, the Giants will need Brandon Jacobs to return to form, struggling even from the goal line a season ago. While the running game is uncertain, the passing game looks to have taken a step forward with Steve Smith breaking through as one of the elite possession WRs in the NFL. Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham both enjoyed productive years on the outside, with Smith getting the brunt of the work over the middle, as the Giants sported one of the League’s more productive aerial attacks. Eli Manning topped 4,000 yards for the first time in his career, adding 27 TD strikes. If the D and running game return to form, the Giants could be a dark horse the Super Bowl discussion.
Philadelphia Eagles (2009: 11-5) Even without Donovan McNabb, the Eagles should remain competitive atop the East. Kevin Kolb looked solid in fill-in duty last year and has two of the fastest receivers in the league to work with, in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. With LeSean McCoy taking over the lion’s share of Westbrook’s traditional rushing/receiving role over the years, the Eagles offense should look similar despite the new face under center.
Washington Redskins (2009: 4-13) There is finally hope in Washington as McNabb and Mike Shanahan take over for Jason Campbell and Jim Zorn. Unfortunately, the Skins are trapped in a tough division. The top three teams in the East are all in serious position to push for the post-season, while the Redskins, though improving, aren’t quite through the rebuilding process.

Manage Your Expectations for McNabb

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:29:18 +0000

Not to stomp on fellow Redskins’ fans collective birthday cake, but a lot of people in the D.C. area are acting as if the Redskins finally acquired the second coming of Doug Williams, destined to lead the team to Super Bowl glory in his first season with the Skins. To put it as lightly as possible, there is quite simply no way that will ever happen. Granted, the situations are obviously very different, with McNabb coming over as part of a high profile trade with the Eagles, while Williams was brought in as a backup to Jay Schroeder after spending time in the USFL. Still, the idea that McNabb could hoist the Lombardi trophy in Washington, particularly spurning to the rival Philadelphia NFL franchise that cast him away, seems to have brought an uncanny sense of optimism among the FedEx Field faithful. Let’s dispel the notion that McNabb, who never actually won a Super Bowl while playing in Philly, could possibly engineer playoff run with the current talent around him.In Philadelphia, McNabb had the advantage of playing alongside a ball-hawking Brian Dawkins-led defense, not to mention a few more weapons on the offensive side of the ball. From the quarterback-friendly Brian Westbrook coming out of the backfield to Terrell Owens in his prime, more recently an emerging DeSean Jackson, McNabb has had weapons over the course of his career, but never gotten it done. Yes, McNabb will be motivated with a Brett Favre 2009 size chip on his shoulder, but the Skins simply don’t have the necessary skill players for that frustration to come to fruition on the field. Sure, Moss is a nice asset split wide, but entering his 10^th year of NFL service he’s not a consistent game-changer. The chance that Mike Shanahan can mold McNabb and this hearty group of has-beens into winners is quite the coaching challenge for the first year Skins coach, whose own better days may have passed.

Did Skins Pay Cash for Clunkers?

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:18:17 +0000

Perhaps lost in the Haynesworth hoopla and the hyped up McNabb-led passing game is the fact that the Washington Redskins have arguably the deepest backfield in the National Football League circa 2005. Okay, so it’s been a few year years since Larry Johnson and Willie Parker struck fear into opposing linebackers, but once upon a time, a backfield of Johnson, Parker and old standby Clinton Portis would have been closer to a Pro-Bowl roster than the Redskins preseason squad. The year 2005 saw Parker rush for 1,202 yards and 4 touchdowns; Johnson added 1,750 rushing with 20 scores, while Portis scampered for 1,516, finding the end zone 11 times on the ground. That brings the cumulative total to 4,468 rushing yards and 35 TDs, and this doesn’t even factor in receiving stats. Last year, by comparison, the three-headed monster combined for just 1,087 ground yards with just 1 lone rushing touchdown, while battling injuries, reduced carries and in Johnson’s case character issues. So is there any upside to signing Parker and Johnson or did the President’s “Cash for Clunkers” program just matriculate down the D.C. landscape?It’s possible the Skins are simply trying to trick Donovan McNabb’s fellow aging body into feeling like its 5 years younger, the biggest team’s biggest free agent acquisition is, after all, 33 in his own right, and has already suffered a preseason ankle sprain. On the other hand, Parker, Johnson and Portis are all deceptively young considering how long it seems their names have been around NFL circles. Contrary to popular belief, Portis is just 28 years old, the same age as Falcons running back Michael Turner. Parker is 29, leaving Johnson as the group’s elder at 30. The Redskins may actually believe there is still some life in these forgotten veterans, though the sheer number of miles both Portis and Johnson put on their legs during their first few NFL seasons would argue that these downward trends should continue. Parker, though not particularly overused, just looks like he’s lost the elite quickness that set him apart. Hopefully for the Skins sake, these three can combine to keep each other fresh, if all three make the roster that is, and combine to form at least one of their former selves.