Tampa Bay Rays Should Be Embarrassed By Their Embarrassment

This Longoria isn't the one married to a French basketball player while starring in a soap opera on television. That is Eva, not Evan the third baseman of the Tampa Bay Rays. One may be thrown off by the recent hissy fit the baseball Longoria had, and may be calling to cast this Longoria in "Desperate Housewives Of Florida".

After the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Rays in front of a sparse crowd of just over 12,000 paid attendance, Longoria cried to the media, hoping his tears would be wiped off by the paper they wrote on.

“We’re playing really good baseball, and it’s kind of like, ‘What else do we have to do to draw fans into this place?” he said. “It’s actually embarrassing for us.”

"It’s a tough situation,” Longoria continued. “We want to go out there and win every game. We come into a game like today where we have an opportunity to clinch a post-season berth, and there’s only eight teams that get an opportunity to do that. We feel like we should be out there and have a packed house. And it’s tough to see and it’s actually sometimes disheartening for us.

His tirade of tears continued, “We’re going to go out there and play the same, and we’ve pretty much been doing that from Day One here,” he said. “…but you would like to think that for a team in a playoff hunt, with the opportunity to clinch, that you could at least get 30,000 in here to cheer you on.

“Again, it’s disheartening and it’s something I’ve been wanting to say for a long time. It’s not a jab at the fans. It’s not a kick below the belt. But it’s something that we’d like to see, because obviously we want to bring a championship to Tampa Bay. And we’d like more than 12-to-15,000 to know about it.”

“Like I said, we’ve been playing great baseball all year, and since I’ve been here in ’06, the fans have wanted a good baseball team,” he said. “They’ve wanted to watch a contender. And for us to play good baseball for three years now, and to be in a spot to clinch again and go to the playoffs, I think we’re all confused as to why there’s only 15-to-20,000 in the building.”

We figured if we had a chance at the beginning of September, maybe the fans would come. Now it’s the end of September and it’s almost October and we’re still kind of looking up in the seats and going, ‘Where is everybody?’

“Again, we’ve still got some more time. So hopefully it starts to fill up. And if no other time, at least the post-season. It’s just tough to see and I feel like I was the right guy to be able to say that.”

His teammate, pitcher David Price, jumped on the Longoria bandwagon via Twitter. He tweeted, “Had a chance to clinch a post-season spot tonight with about 10,000 fans in the stands…embarrassing.”

What is the real embarrassment is spoiled brats in ivory towers who have no clue as to what is going on in their immediate communities.

First of all, the Rays play in Saint Petersburg, a city known for retired people. In case Longoria and Price have failed to notice, seniors have not gotten a cost of living raise in their SSI checks in over three years. It is hard to afford tickets when you need to decide between food, rent, and medicines first.

Perhaps the Rays want the elderly to live a stereotypical life of eating cat food so they can scrounge together enough pennies to buy a $17 ticket way out in right field while buying a juicy $10 hot dog that cost the team less than a penny to prepare.

Florida also is in hard financial times, holding an unemployment rate much higher than the national average. At last check, the Rays are not giving away free tickets or accepting food stamps and I.O.U.'s to pay for them.

If Evan Longoria decides to be the "right guy" again, perhaps he should start talking about things he has a clue about. Like hitting a fastball for example. Complaining to the poor that they are not feeding the rich enough just once again shows the gap between sports and reality.

Albert Haynesworth Is "No Slave" To Excellence

When Albert Haynesworth decides to open his mouth to the media, surreal hilarity ensues. Though he was given $21 million in April, he has tried to ostracize himself from the Washington Redskins since 2009.

The Redskins ran a base 4-3 defense last year, which is preferred by Haynesworth. He was only able to suit up for 12 games and contribute four sacks and 30 tackles. Not what Washington has hoped for from a man they envisioned entering his prime and coming off his second Pro Bowl season the year before.

Now in his ninth season, Washington needs to be concerned about a man who has played a full season only once in his career, his first when used primarily as a reserve. He has already missed one game, and played very little in the other as a reserve.

To say the Redskins aren't getting their moneys worth out of the $100 million contract he signed is a vast understatement. Haynesworth has shown no drive, dedication, nor pride to his craft. Instead he has chosen to bicker and seek excuses.

His stance as a pariah should shock no one, because it has been a prevalent theme of obtuse immaturity throughout his career since being a first round draft pick in 2002. Whether it was stomping on the faces of defenseless opponents or complaining about disrespect, it caused many teams to not show much interest in his free agency despite a strong 2008 season.

Haynesworth complained about the system defensive coordinator Greg Blatche ran last year, even though he defended a career high five passes in it. When the organization went through a massive transformation from the front offices to the coaching staff, he chose to stay away from joining his teammates to work out and learn the newly implanted system and show up late for training camp out of shape.

Blatche was replaced by Jim Haslett, a former player who has been a long time defensive coordinator and two-time head coach. He specializes in the 3-4 base defense, which is something Haynesworth said he wants no parts of. At his size, Washington feels he is best suited to play nose tackle.

Some of the best nose tackles in NFL history were not 6'6" like he is. Curley Culp, considered by many the greatest anyone has ever seen play the position, was four inches shorter and weighed 265 lbs. He was also a champion wrestles and had pride in trying to be the best he could be.

Like Haynesworth, Culp started his career in a 4-3 defense for just over six years and made two Pro Bowls. He then moved to nose tackle for the betterment of his team and went to four more Pro Bowls in the almost seven seasons with the Houston Oilers. He never griped, he just played the game to the best of his abilities.

Washington D.C. heard Haynesworth get on a local radio show proclaiming he had backbone and, ''I mean, I'm not for sale. Yeah, I signed the contract and got paid a lot of money, but that don't mean I'm for sale or a slave or whatever.''

His purported backbone is the same ilk of many of the modern athlete who feels entitled to not have to earn their keep, instead seeking a free ride. His backbone is green from the color of money to some and yellow to the rest who observe his constant fiascos.

He now claims to like the system Haslett has installed, but follows that up with how he was signed to play in a 4-3 and cannot be forced to do things he chooses not to be part of.

For a guy who would rather ''go to Wal-Mart and hang out.'' than play football to the best of his ability in order for his team to win a championship, it seems Haynesworth is content with earning his money in hypocritical double talk.

Devin Thomas' Time As A Washington Redskin May Be Ending

When Donovan McNabb tossed for 426 yards in the 30-27 loss to the Houston Texans, it represented the second most passing yards in a single game by the six-time Pro Bowl quarterback.

He misfired on just 10 of 38 passes, and spread the ball out to eight different receivers. One player noticeably missing from catching any balls was Devin Thomas. Instead, he returned three kickoffs for 66 yards.

When the Washington Redskins moved up in the 2008 draft in the second round to make him the 34th overall selection, they saw a raw receiver with a big upside. He was the first of four consecutive draft picks on offensive players in the first three rounds. Of those four, only Thomas and tight end Fred Davis are playing with the Redskins this season.

The drafting of Thomas was seen by some as a gamble that early, though others thought he might slip into the first round. It is highly unlikely he would have fallen to the third round. He came from Michigan State University where he did little his first two years with the team before setting a school record of 79 receptions as a junior.

He then decided to turn pro because the 2008 NFL Draft was not considered strong at top end wide receivers. Donny Avery was the first receiver drafted, one pick ahead of Thomas, and has been mostly injured thus far. DeSean Jackson, of the Philadelphia Eagles, was taken 15 picks behind Thomas and one behind Davis and made the Pro Bowl once already.

Jackson has easily been the best receiver of the 2008 draft, though players like Jordy Nelson, Eddie Royal, Earl Bennett, Early Doucet, Harry Douglas, Mario Manningham, Andre Caldwell, Josh Morgan, Pierre Garcon, and Chaz Schilens have all equaled or surpassed Thomas in production despite being drafted behind him that year.

What Devin Thomas is becoming for the Redskins is an enigma. Though you never hear reports of him shirking or taking it easy in drills, there are no reports of him being a hard worker who takes extra reps to improve either. Some think he relies on his natural speed too much to stick on the roster.

One criticism of Thomas has been his running of a pass route. With savvy veterans like Joey Galloway, Santana Moss, and McNabb, he should be showing improvement. Wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell caught 883 balls in 16 seasons as a wide receiver in the NFL with five teams, two of which saw him go to the Pro Bowl. He was noted as an excellent route runner as a player, so it is hopeful Thomas is glued to McCardell's hip picking his brain for as much information as possible.

After a poor rookie year that saw him average eight yards on 15 receptions, Thomas started in 10 of the 14 games he played last year. He showed steady improvement as he played, and had a career best seven catches for 100 yards and two scores in the 12th week of the season.

Instead of building on that, he has fallen deep on the depth chart at receiver. Moss and the soon-to-be 39 year old Galloway start, with Anthony Armstrong and Roydell Williams as their reserves. Williams is a fourth year journeyman, while Armstrong was the best story coming out of the Redskins camp by making the team at 27 years old after playing in the Intense Football League.

Though now the fifth receiver on the team, Thomas may be their fastest. Washington has him returning kickoffs right now, and he has averaged a very good 28.4 yards on five returns. Still, he faces competition there with the recent signing of experienced returner Chad Simpson. Simpson has 53 career returns at a 23.4 yards per return average, along with a 93-yard return for a touchdown.

If Simpson takes the return duties from Thomas, it may put Washington in a tough position on why they should keep him on the roster. He is in the third year of a four-year contract that pays 4.8 million. The team could use help on both sides in the trenches, so it is possible he in on the verge of being dismissed by the team.

Being the fifth receiver doesn't give one many chances to prove themselves in a game. The impressing comes from time on the practice field. If Thomas does not step up his game quickly, he may soon join the ultra-slow and injured Malcolm Kelly along with punter Durant Brooks as being viewed as wasted draft picks by the Redskins in 2008.

What 0-3 Will Do For The Boys In Silver And Blue

When Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones poured billions of dollars into his roster and a brand new stadium, he envisioned his team making history by becoming the first to host a Super Bowl on their home turf. Instead, he has a team that could be on the brink of not making the playoffs already in just the third week of the 2010 NFL season.

While it is easy to point at an inept offense that is ranked 26th in scoring, the defense hasn't been much better and is the 19th best by allowing 40 points already. They are minus 13 in scoring differential, also ranked 26th. Not a formula a team with postseason aspirations needs to start out the season.

One major part of the criticism is directed at offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who pundits feel is castrating the team by throwing too much. Quarterback Tony Romo, whose 51 pass attempts last week in a loss to Chicago was the second most attempts of his career, went before the media recently lamenting the lack of rushing attempts so far.

Romo, who threw 47 balls in their first week loss to Washington, career high of 55 attempts last year against the New York Giants was also met with a loss. The three-time Pro Bowler is at his best, as are the Cowboys, when there is better offensive balance.

The media keeps piling up on Garrett. Darren Woodson, a former five-time Pro Bowl safety with Dallas, was heard on television telling Garrett to know his teams identity and to run the ball more before he finds himself run out of town.

Perhaps Jones waited too long to make this move, despite their 2009 success, because Garrett has a history of what is best described as "brain farts" in the most crucial moments. With more experienced and accoladed offensive minds out there after 2009, like Mike Martz of the Bears team that just beat Dallas, Jones probably should have pulled the trigiger to further teach the 30-year old Romo more on how to play quarterback.

Now the face a Houston team brimming with confidence and undefeated. Despite missing Preo Bowl and 2009 Defensive Rookie of the Year Brian Cushing at linebacker, they have given up only 102 total rushing yards so far. Their defensive weakness has been in the pass, allowing a whopping 822 yards so far.

It is very tempting to eschew the running game one more week and attempt to get into a shoot out with Houston before hosting the Tennessee Titans the following week. However, this strategy could backfire on them.

Not only is the red hot Matt Schaub the top rated quarterback in the NFL right now, he is near or at the top in most passing categories. The Dallas defense has just two sacks and fumble recoveries thus far, with no interceptions, so they have a huge task in front of them against the top scoring team in the league.

Though it is not inconceivable Dallas could make the playoffs after losing their first three games, it is highly unlikely with 2009 playoff teams like Philadelphia, Minnesota, Indianapolis, Green Bay, and the defending champion New Orleans Saints still ahead on their schedule.

One may not have enough eyes this Sunday in Houston if Dallas goes late into the fourth quarter behind. From Jones to the team to the coaches, the range of expressions ranging from worried, dismayed, and angry could certainly destroy all dreams that the Cowboys will be on their own field during Super Bowl XLV.





Tennessee Titans @ New York Giants

The Giants can't seem to get their running game going. To make things worse, their defense can't seem to stop opponents from running. Not a good formula with Chris Johnson coming into town hungry after a subpar game last week.

Titans 23 Giants 21






Cincinnati Bengals @ Carolina Panthers

The Bengals show they have enough weapons on offense to be unpredictable. Rookie tight end Jermaine Greshem might explode this week.

Bengals 31 Carolina 13






Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

No one saw the Bucs at 2-0. In fact, many thought they would only win two games all season. It was a nice run by a young team who may arrive ahead of schedule.

Steelers 24 Buccaneers 10







Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots

Patriots fans are so relaxed about this game, they are talking about Tom Brady's hair.

Patriots 34 Bills 7






Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore has played well defensively, but the offense has been a huge disappointment. Quarterback Joe Flacco is coming off perhaps the worst game of his young career.

Ravens 17 Browns 13






San Francisco 49ers @ Kansas City Chiefs

The Niners played much better the second week than the first. They are due for a win, but it may not be easy against the pesky Chiefs who are surprisingly undefeated right now.

49ers 27 Chiefs 17




Dallas Cowboys @ Houston Texans
Game of the Week

Dallas is about to hit panic mode. Houston used to be a gimme in the past, but this Texans team is tougher. Houston needs to run the ball, but the passing game is good enough to carry them to victory.

Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett needs to get back to running the ball if he wants his team to win.

Texans 30 Cowboys 28





Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings

The good news here is that one of these teams will finally win a game this season. The Vikings season is pretty much on the line right here.

Vikings 31 Lions 23






Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints

Atlanta played a lot better last week, and they know this is a very important divisional confrontation. The Saints are looking like the best team to have a chance of repeating since the Patriots in 2003 and 2004.

Saints 38 Falcons 31







Washington Redskins @ Saint Louis Rams

Washington is one overtime field goal away from being unbeaten with virtually no running game, an erratic offensive line, and basically two pass catchers. If they cannot improve the offense this week against the lowly Rams, it will be a long season in the tough NFC East.

Redskins 28 Rams 24






Philadelphia Eagles @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Eagles head coach Andy Reid is a bit lucky the teams schedule is the way it is. He was forced to plug in Michael Vick at quarterback after an injury to starter Kevin Kolb on opening day. He then gave Vick his first start since 2006 against the lowly Lions. Now Philly faces an average Jaguars defense to build on that success.

Jacksonville will look to run the ball down the throats of the Eagles tiny defense, so it will be close if Maurice Jones-Drew runs wild.

Eagles 24 Jaguars 21







Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos

The Colts go as Peyton Manning goes. Their defense was tough against the Giants last week after being run over by the Texans the week before. Denver is unpredictable on offense, but their defense will have a tough time stopping Indianapolis if Manning is on his game.

Colts 34 Denver 24







Oakland Raiders @ Arizona Cardinals

Two teams looking for an indentity beyond mediocrity. Oakland slithered by the Rams last week for their first win, while the Cardinals, who beat the Rams in their first game, are near the bottom on both scoring offense and defense. The Raiders aren't much better in those categories.

Raiders 17 Cardinals 15







San Diego Chargers @ Seattle Seahawks

While San Diego exploded last week after a bad start to the season, Seattle came crashing back to Earth with a solid beating by Denver after blowing out San Francisco the week before.

Chargers 31 Seahawks 16






New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins

While the Jets last week looked like the team Rex Ryan had been spouting off about incessantly, they then get hit with the drama of top receiver Braylon Edwards arrest for DUI. Miami might be facing them at the right time.

Though the Dolphins offense scares nobody, their defense has allowed a league best 20 points so far. The Jets basically mirror them with a mediocre offense and good defense. The term "defensive struggle" appears likely in this battle.

Jets 13 Dolphins 10






Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears

Chicago's new offensive coordinator Mike Martz has quarterback Jay Cutler playing the way the Bears envisioned wen they traded away so much to attain his services. The fact Cutler does well without much of a running game speaks highly of his abilities.

Green Bay has shown why so many picked them to win the NFC North. This is the longest running rivalry in NFL history between two teams that have won 21 championships and inducted 47 people into the Hall of Fame between them. Greatness is expected.

Packers 27 Bears 24



Record 19 - 12



Power Rankings

1. Saints
2. Packers
3. Texans
4. Steelers
5. Patriots
6. Bengals
7. Ravens
8. Bears
9. Dolphins
10. Jets
11. Titans
12. Chargers
13. Colts
14. Falcons
15. Redskins
16. Eagles
17. Giants
18. Broncos
19. Cowboys
20. Chiefs
21. Buccaneers
22. Cardinals
23. Seahawks
24. Vikings
25. Raiders
26. Jaguars
27. 49ers
28. Lions
29. Bills
30. Browns
31. Panthers
32. Rams

Now Is Keiland Williams Time To Shine For The Washington Redskins

He was an afterthought. Undrafted in 2010 after a collegiate career as mostly a reserve on the 2007 National Champion LSU Tigers. He had moments, but there were others considered the starts of the teams he played on.

Though born in Louisiana, he attended high school at Hargrave Academy in Chatham, Virginia where he became the schools first ever 1,000 yard rusher. He led LSU in rushing as a junior, but had his senior year cut short because of a broken ankle in early November. This injury caused his draft stock to slip where he eventually fell into the laps of the Redskins.

Washington had come into the 2010 season with a geriatric backfield that even the legendary George Allen would have been uncomfortable with. He was the Hall of Fame coach who was the architect of the "Over The Hill Gang".

Larry Johnson and Willie Parker were former Pro Bowl running backs whose best days were long behind them. The Redskins signed both to back up another former Pro Bowler in Clinton Portis, who also appears to have had his best moments in the NFL pass him by.

With a rebuilding offensive line, a new quarterback, a new head coach, coaching staff, and general manager joining the team, it was tenuous at best to think the formula of has-been running backs could last an entire season.

Parker never made the team out of training camp, and Johnson was so ineffective that Washington cut him after just two games. Suddenly, the undrafted Williams was thrust into the position of primary reserve halfback.

Williams had gained 67 yards on 19 carries in the 2010 preseason, second best on the team. His two rushing touchdowns led all Redskins. He impressed the coaches enough to make the final roster.

He has done well enough to where the team had more confidence in him over Johnson late in the Redskins 30-27 loss to the Houston Texans. Washington went to the air, and Williams replaced Portis on the field. He caught four passes for 15 yards in limited action, but the tone was set there that he had moved over Johnson on the depth chart.

Chad Simpson is a three year pro Washington signed to replace Johnson on the roster. He spent two years on the Indianapolis Colts, running for 147 yards, catching six balls, and scoring three times. The former product of nearby Morgan State University was primarily a kick returner, scoring once on 38 returns in 2008.

While he might immediately push Devin Thomas for return duties, he will need time to learn the Redskins offensive schemes to be much help. This is the time for Williams to get his opportunity to shine. A solid 226 lbs, he does his best work between the tackles when running the ball. Considering Portis has been ineffective, averaging a paltry 3.1 yards on 31 carries, a change in the backfield might be necessary.

Though Donovan McNabb was excellent last Sunday, the Redskins need a ground game that gets the opponents respect. They have been unable to do so this first two weeks. Perhaps Keiland Williams can continue bucking the odds and be that force Washington so desperately needs on the ground attack.

The Minnesota Vikings Need To Pull The Trigger On 2010 Now

Not many NFL observers saw the Vikings go into the third week of the 2010 season win-less. With Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson behind one of the better offensive lines in the NFC, many felt they would be undefeated at this time.

One of their main issues has been the lack of passing game to add balance to their offensive attack. This is not what Brett Favre signed up for after teammates showed up at his home begging him to play another season for a few extra million dollars.

Injuries to his favorite targets have helped Favre throw four interceptions and lose a fumble already, With an injury to Sidney Rice that will sideline the teams top receiver at least half of the season, he has been tossing to a depleted corps of mostly secondary receivers.

Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe is leading the team with 10 receptions right now, and has been their best deep threat as well by averaging 16.2 yards per catch. He is also the only Viking to score a touchdown through the air thus far. Usually a third or fourth option in their passing attack, he has done a yeoman's job becoming the go-to guy.

Peterson came into the season knowing Chester Taylor would not be there to back him up for the first time since 2007. Taylor, who now plays for the Chicago Bears, was the Vikings third down back and was very effective. Peterson proclaimed his intentions to be a more versatile player this season, and is currently second on the team with eight catches.

The other receivers the Vikings expected to depend on this year, Bernard Berrian, Greg Camarillo, Percy Harvin, and Greg Lewis, have combined for just 13 receptions so far. This lack of production has helped Minnesota become the second worst scoring offense in the NFL so far.

Harvin has been dinged up, a theme of his career since college, so wide receiver Hank Baskett was recently signed because of his familiarity of head coach Brad Childress' offensive system. But that may not be enough options for the 41-year old Favre who has recently been showing his age, which Minnesota was hoping he would not do yet.

One way to help him would be to attain the services of Pro Bowl wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who is in a tumultuous contract dispute with the San Diego Chargers. His agent claims another team is offering $9 million for one season, and most think the Vikings are that team.

Jackson has until 4 PM EDT to sign a contract in order to play in week five after he finishes serving out a league mandated suspension for a DUI arrest earlier this year. The Vikings once traded for a player named Jared Allen with a similar history, and it has worked out very well for them.

One thought against trading draft picks away for Jackson is it would add age to a team that averages 28.6 years already, the second oldest squad in the league. The Washington Redskins are currently the oldest, averaging 28.7 years.

The Vikings are obviously on the cusp of rebuilding in key positions. Farve and defensive tackle Pat Williams are playing in their last season, and key players like Steve Hutchinson, Antoine Winfield, Bryant McKinnie, Shiancoe, Kevin Williams, Ben Leber, E.J. Henderson, and Anthony Herrera are all over 30 years old right now.

Vikings fans have watched some great teams go to four Super Bowls in the franchises history. None won the game. This frustration has the thirst for championship gold hasten. Getting Jackson would be a gamble that certainly does not guarantee victory, but it would give them a much better chance to do so. It would also give Farve the consistent deep threat he would enjoy airing it out to with frequency.

Yet standing pat with the current roster is not a bad move either, thus saving draft picks and trying to stay competitive through the decade. They did give up a first round and two third round picks in 2008 for defensive end Allen, so it is possible they gamble again.

The clock on whether the Vikings believe the future is now or to build towards tomorrow will be answered shortly. Of course, they could try to get Jackson and be refuted by the Chargers. This would not serve San Diego well, because Jackson has clearly stated he has no problem sitting out the entire season.

Another season of frustration may await the Vikings yet again.

Donovan McNabb Brings The Redskins Shades Of Sonny

When the Washington Redskins acquired 11-year veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb on April, 4 2010 from the Philadelphia Eagles, for a second round draft pick and a conditional third or fourth-round pick in 2011, historians of both teams could not help but remember that last time the franchise made a similar deal.

If the Redskins had traded for McNabb just three days earlier, it would have been exactly 46 years to the day the Redskins traded starting quarterback Norm Snead and cornerback Claude Crabbe for Eagles starting quarterback Sonny Jurgensen and safety Jimmy Carr.

Jurgensen and Snead were Pro Bowl quarterbacks, though Jurgensen was the more experienced player. He had been drafted in the fourth round of the 1957 draft, earned a championship ring in 1960, and had set an NFL record for passing yards in 1961. Snead was the second overall pick in the 1961 season, and had just come off a year he led the NFL with 27 interceptions thrown.

Snead lasted seven years in Philadelphia, making the Pro Bowl once. Carr and Crabbe were both out of the league in a few seasons. Jurgensen, however, became a Hall of Famer as a member of the Redskins.




He became a Pro Bowler in his first year with them He hit his stride in 1966, leading the NFL in pass completions, attempts, yards, and passing yards per game. He repeated that the next season, while also leading the NFL in quarterback rating and touchdowns thrown as well as breaking his own passing yards record.

Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi is on record saying Jurgensen is the best quarterback he ever saw play. Sonny continues his legend currently in Washington D.C. as a long time celebrity and broadcaster of the teams radio network.

Jurgensen's first year saw him get revenge against the Eagles, winning both games. McNabb, whose first victory as a Redskin was against the rival Dallas Cowboys, will get his first shot at Philadelphia in 11 days. He is coming off a game where he threw for 426 yards, the second most of his career.

The only question left is exactly how much of an impact McNabb will have in Washington. His contract expires at seasons end, and no one knows yet if he will be more than a one year rental for the Redskins. Jurgensen went to four of his five Pro Bowls in Washington, while the six-time Pro Bowler McNabb looks to add to his total in his quest to join Jurgensen in Canton.

Time will tell if the Redskins come out ahead on the McNabb trade like they did with Jurgensen. It should also be noted McNabb is three years older and has taken a lot more hits than Jurgensen at the time of the trade, because the Hall of Famer spent his first four seasons as a backup.

One thing Jurgensen did bring the Redskins was victory. Team has struggled since 1945, failing to make the playoffs once. They reached the playoffs four times with him, including Super Bowl XII. He was a 38-year old reserve that year, but came off the bench for injured starter Billy Kilmer and won all four games he started.

While Washington has not struggled that long since McNabb's arrival, they had their worst record last season since 1994. The team was in disarray top to bottom within the organization, and change was desperately needed.

Washington hopes McNabb can bring that change. A change that reminds them more of Sonny Jurgensen. Change led by a Hall of Fame quarterback to frequent victory and respect that has long been forgotten.