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Just some thoughts running through my tiny little brain...
- How many carrots can the Redskins dangle out for draft picks?
Campbell, Haynesworth, McIntosh, Landry...
- Define Voluntary...
(See Mandatory)
The Mike Shanahan practices have started.
- When asked about Shanahans new rules...
The standard answers from the players are: "I Like it" , "It's like a breath of fresh air" , "Just what the team needs"
I wonder if their answers are Voluntary?
- Everyone says "Defense wins Championships"
Can the Capitals prove them wrong?
Yes folks, don't be fooled, the previous 82 games were just the preseason.
The NHL playoffs are where championship teams are born. It is not only a test of the most talented, best scoring, best defensive, and yes sometimes even luckiest teams, players and coaches out there; but it is a test for survival.
This year the odds on favorites by many, from bookies to sports experts, pick the Washington Capitals to win the cup. They have, perhaps the most talented group of offensive scorers assembled and finish as top record and point holders for the previous 82 games.
They even won the Presidents Award.
So the bookies have the Caps as favorites to win.
The Caps finish the 82 game season with the best record and the most points.
They are a gimme for the cup right?
WRONG!
First of all, anybody who knows me, I never bet on the favorite person, team or horse to win a race. And the playoffs are just that, a race.
Secondly, if you believe the stats, only 7 of the last 23 President Award winners have gone on to win the cup.
So, in a way, the Caps are the underdogs, so that means I can bet on them to win. Except I rarely bet and most likely will not for the playoffs.
But I can route for them to win it all!
Lets Go Caps!
"Crosby is so far ahead of Ovechkin right now Ovie would need a telescope to see him."
"Crosby has won the Stanley Cup (by going through Ovechkin), the Olympics (again, by going through Ovehckin) and the World Championships."
"I don't believe Crosby ever won a world championship, though he did win a world juniors title. But Ovechkin was part of the Gold-medal winning Russian squad in 2008. So, instead of 3-0, we're now talking about 2-1. Of course, if we're just measuring world titles, Caps winger Jason Chimera seems to have won one in '07."
"Ovie behaved wretchedly during the Games when he shoved the camera of some woman...Ovechkin...is bordering on out of control."
These are just some of the quotes and topics and blog posts literally FLYING around DC since the Olympics.
I actually have to say I like all this a lot! Ovie behaving the way he did with fans and their cameras is totally irresponsible but everything else is great!
Why, because this just adds to the rivalry. Fuel for the fire. Even more hype for the upcoming playoffs and championship run.
I think it will, hopefully, play into the Caps favor and become a real motivational revenge factor.
Three of the soviet Olympic team members are on the Caps. All three have been around for all the losses to Crosby and what ever team he is on.
And let me just say here, they are both all stars. "Beasts" as I have heard that term used a bit too often lately. Of course each, being one player, do not make a championship team. They help of course, but it takes all the pieces fitting together to make a championship team.
Watching Olympic Hockey was really great this year and I totally enjoyed it, even though the USA team lost in OT.
And now, I can't wait for the playoffs to start. To watch Ovie, Semin, and Varlamov take on you know who and, hopefully, wipe them off the 2010 NHL map!
This is the time of year that is truly fantasy football winter.
One of the other sports which I, and at least my sons, really get into is Hockey.
We have been avid fans of the Capitals and have thoroughly enjoyed this years season.
So, just as the football season ends, the Hockey season takes what is like a all star break in Baseball. A sort of Pro Bowl of international hockey.
Yes, just in case you have been hiding under a rock, or 2 - 3 feet of snow....
The 2010 Olympics have started. This means the NHL is taking a break because many NHL players are now playing for their native country hockey teams.
The Capitals have 5 players.
Tomas Fleischmann will represent the Czech Republic.
Nicklas Backstrom was named to the Swedish team.
Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Semyon Varlamov were named to the Russian team.
I admit, I really will have mixed loyalties but regardless of who plays, will have fun watching!
Go Caps! Go Team USA!
I should probably be writing this about the Caps who had a fantastic January with 10 wins in a row and enter February as hot as they have ever been.
But more on that later with another post.
And yes I am with COCO but in terms of this post, it means I've selected COCO as one of my stocks to watch!
It is February 1st and time for another set of watch lists.
Starting Lineup:
UNP
Union Pacific Corp
Yes, the railroad company. Recently drop down past support levels. Look to see if it bounces back up before/when it hits the 200 day average.
DPS
Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc
Company has held its own through this down turn and recently has had an increase of money flow into the stock.
CEPH
Cephalon Inc
Has been doing quite well since its last quarterly report and appears to be cooling off slightly. The cautious investor might want to wait until after the 11th report date before investing.
COCO
Corinthian Colleges Inc.
There is a theory out there that education stocks might benefit from unemployed people and those looking to keep jobs taking more classes to get an edge up on the competition and look more valuable to corporations. This is certainly a mixed bag field where one can invest in companies like this and Devry or in other 'service' and 'product' types such as Blackboard.
ODSY
Odyssey Healthcare Inc
A decently run health care company that continues to expand and has had two decent quarters in a row. Recent sell off has made it a more attractive buy.
LINC
Lincoln Educational Services Corp
I almost put this on the bench but it is currently at low support price levels and money flow has stopped bleeding out of the stock. This might just be worth a long shot especially if investors start putting money back in.
MMR
McMoRan Exploration Co
An oil and gas exploration company that just recently posted really good returns, which was surprising. I has leveled off a bit from its sudden run. Deserves a close watch.
HQS
HQ Sustainable Maritime Industries Inc
This china marine food company has had a really volatile up and down run in price lately and quite frankly might be setting up into a late stage of a head and shoulders pattern, which is not good. Probably one of my riskier starting lineup picks.
ROST
Ross Stores Inc
I think this clothing and retail store is on a comeback and will continue a choppy ride up in price. Look to buy on the dips.
SOHU
Sohu.com Inc
A china news, and entertainment company that reports first thing Monday morning. Has had a really steep sell off lately and is approaching an attractive buy in point. Now if I only had a crystal ball to tell me if the report is going to be good or bad.
Bench
CAH
Cardinal Health Inc
MFLX
Multi-Fineline Electronix Inc
CHE
Chemed Corp
IDCC
InterDigital Inc
FDO
Family Dollar Stores Inc
EVK
Ever Glory International Group Inc
SSYS
Stratasys Inc
TRV
Travelers Companies Inc
POWL
Powell Industries Inc
SHE
Shengkai Innovations Inc
Shanahan agrees to coach Redskins:
And... Snyder was not on the stage. In fact, he was in the audience at Redskin Park. Bruce Allen handled all the ceremonies and introductions. A first for Danny.
Capitals name Alex Ovechkin team captain:
NBA Suspends Gilbert Arenas Indefinitely After Gun Incident:
Yes, it is a real word. Look it up.
Wii-itis is the condition of having pain and sore muscles from playing simulated sports with video games.
The Christmas family present is a big hit. Everyone has been playing it and loving all the games. Trouble is, none of us can now raise our arms above our heads...
That's OK, I'm sure we will not be needing to do that motion much while rooting for the Redskins... ;-)
Of course we all got other presents and like them as well, such as the new big ball Santa got William because his sister burst the old one 2 days before Christmas!...
Thank you Santa.
The other big thing we, (well just us guys), got for Christmas weekend, was to go to the CAPS game last night to watch the CAPS beat the Devils and take over First Place! It was the first time in 4 matchups this season that the CAPS have won against the NJ Devils.
Thanks to Ovechkin, Bradley, Backstrom, Neuvirth and the rest of the team for dominating a 40 shot-on-goal performance and 4 - 1 win!
It was the first time we have gone to a game and they certainly did not disappoint!
We were up behind the scoring end of the CAPS 1st and 3rd period goals in the corner and thoroughly enjoyed the game....
Here is a short video already posted on YouTube or you can see the HD version on the CAPS site.
This is also championship weekend for my commished league and of course EVERYONE is rooting for Leonard Nimoy's Children (East Coast) to totally embarrass Team Edumucation (West Coast) and bring the trophy to the right coast where it truly belongs.
But we will not completely know the end result until ALL NFL games are completed this weekend.
Hope everyone had a fun, safe and enjoyable holiday weekend!
Today, Abe Pollin will be buried.
I think it is safe to say that no other person has had more of an impact in the Washington DC sports, entertainment, real estate and philanthropic landscape than Abe.
He will truly be missed and never forgotten.
Ted Leonsis tribute
Abe Pollin was the bravest man I ever met. A man of courage and compassion, with high levels of personal empathy and integrity.Read more...
He showed passion and commitment to our city when no one else would. He consistently showed his love to the fan base and to his extended family -- his employees. And you could take his handshake to the bank.
He was a man of conviction and principles, of strong views and great accomplishment. He was the only world championship holder among the major team ownership groups around town today.
He was the last "don"; the last of the family-man moguls, the last authentic nice guy in business.
Most of all Abe was a family man -- and a man of spirit -- who knew his higher calling and the value of public service. His selflessness and caring are evident around Washington today.
I will treasure our times together and the wonderful advice he always offered to me. I will never forget the sage advice Abe gave me in regard to leading a team as a public trust, nor his memorable counsel of "Ted, don't get too high with the highs or too low with the lows -- as this too shall pass." He was a mentor, a friend and a pioneer in so many ways.
No, not the Redskins...
Caps vs. Devils !!!
So my boys are getting to be addicted hockey fanatics and watch just about every Caps game on TV.
Though not as hooked as they are, I too am a fan of the caps.
Now since none of us have ever been to a game before, I thought it a good idea to see if I could score some tickets.
Originally I was considering a game close to my birthday in December. The Caps play division rival Carolina on the 11th which would be great, except the only set of 3 tickets left available were on the Club level. Great seats, but lots of $$$.
So I looked around at other games in December and came up with the Jersey Devils on the 26th. And low and behold, they had 3 decently priced tickets available in the top section near the corner. Perfect! A good game which makes for a great combination birthday and Christmas present to myself and the boys.
Hey! I'm already done with half my Christmas shopping!!! ;-)
Of course, now I need some good Caps gear to wear to the game... hint hint...
OK, so we all know the Redskins spotted the Bucs 10 points and a whole first half of a football game and still came back to win! Congratulations!
You all get to keep your jobs for one more week...
What I find most interesting about the game is not necessarily how the Redskins discovered some fire and came back to actually play some football; but rather all the Fan Activity.
There were those who showed their true opinions and practiced freedom of speech...
There were those who also showed their support for other quality Washington Teams...
And there were members of the CAPS on hand to ... Well, maybe they were there to help with emotions, and maybe share some INTENSITY with those who need it most....or even kick some field goals...
And then there were those who just did not think a plan through, like these guys...
Local Radio Station Holds a FAN BAG Give-away to wear at the GAME!
The great Paper Bag giveaway was a total flop!
Turns out, bags are prohibited inside the stadium, and there were multiple reports of the bags being confiscated by security.
Congratulations to Ovechkin!
Just having some fun with the Hart Trophy, Ovechkin reaches out to touch it before pulling his hands back in homage to his "hot stick" celebration.
Ovechkin is the first repeat MVP in more than a decade and only the 11th player to win the Hart multiple times. He earned 115 of a possible 133 first place votes, 103 more than the league's leading scorer, Evgeni Malkin of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
He also won the Pearson Award; the first player to win the Pearson back-to-back since Jaromir Jagr in 1999-2000. Ovechkin dedicated the Pearson to his grandfather, Nikolay Kabayev.
Go Drew!
As one who went to college in North Carolina and now lives in Virginia, I always try to cheer for the local gals and guys.
If you want to root for someone in the non-Tiger/Phil heavyweight class of this week's Umbrella Open, then the amateur Weaver is a perfect place to start and finish. Nothing against the rest of the field, but very few players here can match his backstory.
He won the British Amateur in 2007. He has played in the Masters and the British Open. He squeezed through the nerve-racking U.S. Open qualifier and was a mere 100 yards away from entering the Engineering Hall when the popping sound of gunshots began to echo from inside the building at Virginia Tech.
Perhaps this is why New Yorkers are following him and cheering him on. They can identify with him, what he has been through and how far he has come.
Last time Vegas had a football team, He Hate Me was king. Now they have We Hate He...He being Adam Archuleta.
Adam Archuleta, who the Redskins made the highest paid safety in NFL history back in ‘06, was selected by the still nameless Las Vegas franchise in last night’s UFL draft.
Honestly there is now team name yet, no schedule, and as far as I am concerned...
Really truly could not care less...
And, just in case you were looking for other type of pics on this post, based on my title...
Here you go.
I like underdogs.
I like the unknowns who make a name for themselves through hard work and determination. The ones without all the hype and fanfare.
The guys, or gals, who work hard, persevere and get a shot to make it big.
You can find these people in almost every sport.
Even on most every team. 
As a result of the very recent MLB draft, the Nationals drafted two people in the first round.
1st pick, San Diego State's Stephen Strasburg.
10th pick, Stanford's Drew Storen.
Both pitchers, both good but Strasburg has all the hype and all the potential to be a multi-million dollar franchise player.
Drew is a good closer. Talented and already signed to a contract.
He is the one I am more interested in.
After all, the strength of the bullpen is very much defined by their ability to close out a win.
And that is what closers are supposed to do.
Unfortunately, they are often the ones forgotten, taken for granted...
The Underdog. 
I think the Washington Capitals have one of the best farm/minor league systems in place for any franchise.
Recent events point towards some major changes in their organization.
Sergei Fedorov and Viktor Kozlov are contemplating lucrative deals in their native Russia; and enforcer Donald Brashear may follow them out the door.
The Hershey Bears have produced some of the more note worthy core Caps such as Mike Green, Brooks Laich, Tomas Fleischmann and David Steckel.
Not all of them came with the hype or the franchise expectations of Ovechkin.
They were, at one time, the underdogs, the unknowns.
Now there are a few others like John Carlson and Karl Alzner who played impressively for the Capitals this past season and are poised to be the next additions to the core Caps.
And last but not least...
The Washington Redskins:
There are two players who have come to mind recently.
First is Dorsey who never went to a big name school.
Is all of 5'7"
Bounced around in the CFL.
And now finally gets a shot at the NFL.
Secondly:
There is a good article about Keith Eloi in the Washington Post.
He is another relatively unknown, an underdog, who has worked hard and done what ever it takes to get noticed and playing in the NFL.
He is a good, quick and fast receiver whose performance on the practice field has impressed the coaching staff enough for them to offer him a contract.
He is also a good athlete who has a really good vertical jump. You know, one of the things that they look for at the scouting combines. Why, I am not 100% sure. But what I do know is that Keith and his buddies decided to showcase his ability on YouTube.
His performance was even good enough to get him noticed by SI.com "Hot Clicks".
I know, Hot Clicks is not known for it's in depth reading but it is good for a quick peek once in a while... ;-)
Anyway, here is the YouTube video.
Personally, I think jumping out of a pool is more impressive.
Regardless, hopefully he will be able to make a career out of playing in the NFL instead of YouTube videos.
So, After a great season (50W, 24L, 108pts) the Washington Capitals go down in flames in Game 7 against the Penguins.
Something tells me that these two teams will be back again, facing each other many times over - and over - for the next several years to come.
I really can not fault anybody in this series. Both teams played great.
One team just happened to be more human than the other.
One team just happened to see their stars rise up to another level; and win.
Congratulations to the Penguins.
Congratulations to the Capitals.
WE'LL BE BACK !!!
Plus a possible overtime or two...
That is what this series between the Capitals and the Penguins is down to.
1 game. 60 + minutes of intense nail biting and frustrating, EXCITEMENT !!!
The networks could not be happier. Ovechkin, Crosby and Evgeni Malkin top the list of playoff point-scorers, in that order, and are each in the top five in goals and assists. Half of the games in this series have been decided in overtime, and five of the six games have been decided by a single goal.
Ratings have been through the roof.
For me, I've been facinated watching two very talented yet different teams battle it out.
In some ways, the Penguins have out played the Caps.
Offensively they have 226 shots on goal vs 159 for the caps. The Penguins ice check and shoot around the ice better and go for the feeds close in to the net.
The Caps seem to go for the quick setups and speed.
In other ways, Tthe Caps have been better...
Defensively, the Caps have Simeon Varlamov who has been outstanding in front of the net and the Caps have been effective killing power plays and clearing the zone.
The Washingtonpost has been keeping a really cool graphic stat comparing Ovechkin and Crosby.
And illustrates the differences in play and highlights the strenghts of the two best offensive weapons in the league.
This has been a great series between two great teams and I am sure there are lots of guys with less hair and shorter nails as a result.
However it turns out, this will definately be a series and a final game to remember!
LET'S GO CAPS !!!
Would the keeper of the fury please send it back to the Capitals as soon as possible.
Thank you.
This series between the Penguins and the Caps is shaping up to be a great series between two very good teams.
And I say that not because the Caps are up 2 - 0 in the series, but rather that these two teams are playing great hockey!
The Penguins and Caps are close; in talent and ability - but not style.
And by that I mean how they play the game.
It's fun watching two immensely talented teams with different styles and approaches play the game.
Congratulations to both teams, Ovechkin and Crosby, Varlamov and the rest of the Caps! and to all of us who get to watch such great games!
Is new and young again...
The old vet who sent this franchise to the second round is a Russian pioneer, whose courage to defect made it possible for Ovie and Viktor Kozlov and Alexander Semin and Simeon Varlamov to eventually play in the NHL (on a team in the nation's capital with more Russian players than any NHL team, no less).
Outshot 14-11 the first 40 minutes, the Caps put 13 shots on goal the final 20 minutes. Eleven of those came from this Russian Five: Semin (five shots), Ovechkin (three), Fedorov (two, his only two of the game) and Kozlov (one), Varlamov (.952 save percentage, and 1.17/game).
Here's to the new Russian Five!
Here's to the CAPS!
Here's one more for us good old guys!
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