*** NOTEWORTHY POSTS *** Recent Addition: ES: First Cousins, Once RG3 is Removed

Recent Addition: ES: First Cousins Once RG3 is Removed

Many posts in various threads over the past few years have complained that the quality of posts in the Stadium Forum has decreased since the "good old days" of five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten years ago. We wonder if that's actually true, or if it's just harder to find the really good, fun, informative, smart, entertaining posts.

Maybe not. Maybe it's just harder to find them.

Here are just a few examples from the past several years of what one may consider to be an interesting post worth highlighting.

Obviously, there are many, many, many other high-quality posts from other great writers who are members of this site. This is just a tiny sampling.

Remember - click on the blue arrow icon to find the entire post in context.

The Stadium Forum

Redskins Score Victory In Name Battle - posted May 16, 2009

As a card carrying Native American, I have never been offended by the name...

...There are many ways that I have been insulted with racial slurs: Redskin has yet to be one of those. Trust me, people can get quite creative with their racial insults, and saying you are insulted for being referenced to as a redskin is about as silly as being insulted for being called white. Or black, for that matter.

...

I'm awfully curious; of all the people posting that they think the name is horrid and all that, how many of you are at least 1/4 native blood? How many of you have your tribal papers, have lived on a reservation, and actually know what the true racism portion is like?

Out of all the racism I have heard in my life, I have yet to hear the word redskin used in a derogatory fashion.

About 5 other terms come immediately to mind, but not redskin. If it was such a big deal, why would I have never heard it, except for people complaining about it only with this team?

...

This whole idiocy of "if one is insulted, it should change" crap needs to stop as well. Seriously, if you start going by that rule, you can have any hypersensitive imbecile out there getting you to change all sorts of things, just based on their race. Is that any more fair? There were a great many things done wrong to the American Indian in the past, but this was far from one of them.

The mascot of a team is it's symbol, it's source of pride. You are saying that having a Native American as that source is insulting.

As a race that actually has papers showing how much blood of one type or another we have, we know exactly how to quantify these things. I have found a great many racist Native Americans, especially those that grew up exclusively on the reservation. Of course some of them will say that it's insulting if they think they can get something out of it.

Ever seen what ignorance, poverty, and desperation do to a person? There are ways to help them...changing the name of a team does absolutely nothing in that regard.

Why Be A Fan Of The Redskins? - posted September 28, 2009

...Don't you remember how great it felt when Brunell lofted that pass to Moss in Texas stadium that broke so many Cowboys hearts? And that's that's enshrined in history. Don't you remember that extra bounce in your step in 2007, when Todd Collins had the team on a roll and we made it into the playoffs? These are all part of the spice of life --adding zest to your personal life experience. Why deny yourself these great feelings?

So, don't let today's gloom taint tomorrow's dreams. Hope is an important part of the human experience too (just consider how you hope for your children, or for your chances with that person who might be "the one" -- you don't give up that easily, because there's always hope.) So, why not indulge yourself in hoping for the Redskins too? Because, when the Skins do reward your patience, you'll have a deep satisfaction that stays with you forever.

Bottom line: Today it's cloudy, but that doesn't mean you stop believing in the sun. So, don't despair because of yesterday's loss. The Washington Redskins is already a very good franchise, with deep pockets and a great fanbase -- and good times are coming again!

The Redskins, Charlie Brown, and Shots to the Groin... - Posted September 29, 2009

...

For years, I’ve tried to describe that being a Redskins fan is much like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football from Lucy’s hold. In the analogy, I’m Charlie Brown and the Redskins are Lucy. I know she’s going to pull the ball away at the last second, she knows that she’s going to pull the ball away at the last second, and we both know that I’m going to wind up flat on my back, a little hurt and very embarrassed. The rest of the kids (other NFL fans, my friends and family) will all watch and either revel in my misery or offer some form of pity. But much like Charlie, I keep convincing myself that this time, she’s going to finally let me make contact. Year after year, and week after week, I take a running start, gear up for my big kick, and wind up flailing in the wind before having the wind knocked out me from falling on the hard ground.

But Lucy has never been this cruel. She never walked over to Charlie while he was down and stomped on his gonads. She never took the ball and slammed him in his cojones. She never did a flying leap off the top turnbuckle and aimed for his family jewels. But that’s what the Redskins did to me this past Sunday by losing to the Lions and forever etching themselves in NFL lore as an answer to a trivia question: Which team did the Lions beat to end their 19 game losing streak?

....

I just have a few final words for certain members of the Redskins organization:

...

Dan Snyder: Check my track record:

I’ve been one of your strongest supporters since you bought the team. I’ve defended you every chance I get. I think the media and fans have not treated you fairly over the years.

People glossed over the fact that the Redskins were HORRID before you arrived and that you were not responsible for the Norv Turner years or the disappointment that is FedEx Field. Things were much worse when you took ownership than people were willing to admit. And God love you, you’ve tried. I do not doubt your effort or your love for the team. I do not believe you are a greedy grinch who only cares about the bottom line.

I do believe you want to win. But I’m done defending you. Eventually, results speak for themselves—and your results stink. As with any organization, things can always be traced to the top—and with the Redskins, you are certainly at the top. Everything that trickles down is a reflection of you.

You brought Joe Gibbs back and gave him total control—and not surprisingly, things were much better during those four years. Now that you have once again taken an active role and the leadership chain of command is muddled, chaos has ensued. The team is in disarray and the fans are revolting. Quite frankly, you don’t know what you are doing. I am not imploring you to sell the team (although I wouldn’t complain if you did), but I am imploring you to find a singular voice to run the organization. Someone with a proven track record…someone that controls football operations. Remove yourself from your perch. It may be the only way you can save your legacy with the fanbase.

Hope never completely fades. If it did, there would no longer be any reason to watch. And I’m still watching. I’ll be watching next week when the 0-3 Bucs come to town with a QB making his first career start. I’ll be sitting there wearing my Redskins jersey and hoping for the best. But there are no longer any expectations, other than the expectation of continued misery. You can’t hurt me anymore.

....

The Inner Game of Football - How Jim Zorn is Ruining the Redskins - posted September 29, 2009

One of the central premises of the famous book The Inner Game of Tennis written by W. Timothy Gallwey in the 1970's (launching the entire sports psychology industry) is the corrosive effect of "over analysis" on athletic performance.

Tennis instructors who didn't know the first thing about the inner game were endlessly correcting the player's grip, back swing, follow through and just about every possible mechanical issue in order to "eliminate mistakes."

Time and time again this approach not only failed to improve a player's game but caused a player to actually regress as playing gradually became less and less instinctual and more self-conscious avoiding mechanical mistakes.

Jason Campbell first had to have his "mechanics" adjusted to stand lower in the pocket. Now the offensive lineman (Zorn says) have to "stand taller" on play action plays to fool the defensive lineman.

All the quarterbacks had to change their footwork in the off season. The player who had to make the biggest changes of all was Colt Brennan. It is clear that his level of play has declined precipitiously since Zorn got a hold of him.

Clinton Portis went into a tirade last year calling Zorn a "genius" in a tone dripping with sarcasm. He went on to elaborate later that when they were running Joe Gibbs's running game he got a thousand yards and when Zorn changed the running game he got half that amount. Portis went further saying that Zorn "changed how we block on running plays." He said that "you just can't do that."

Zorn is not a builder of teams. He is a breaker down of teams. ...

Every single player on the offense has gotten worse under Jim Zorn.

The Inner Game of Tennis mentions a "dirty trick" you can play on an opponent who is beating you on the court. If your opponent is not astute enough or has not read the Inner Game you have a chance to completely take him out of his game. When he hits a winning shot a few times, really go overboard and compliment him on the shot.

Go to the net and shake his hand. Ask him if he can show you the shot in slow motion. Ask him to show you his stroke from beginning to end over and over. How high is the racquet off the ground, etc.

More often than not, your opponent will not be able to reproduce the winning stroke again. You are now inside his head and his inner game of tennis is now off the tracks.

Great coaches know this "inner game" well. Bad coaches like Jim Zorn and Norv Turner are technicians who make players worse.

...

Only a proven head coach who understands sports psychology will get the Redskins players to play over their heads like Tony Dungy or Jeff Fischer. The sooner that the Redskins are rid of Jim Zorn the quicker they will return to having an identity.

...

The Five People You Meet in the Redskins GM Search - Posted Oct 15, 2009

So conventional wisdom says that Michael Wilbon's last column was spot-on, and that he named the 5 best candidates for the Redskins GM position.

This is assuming, of course, that Daniel Snyder sees the light and lets Vinny Cerrato know that his services will no longer be required, after the Redskins return home from San Diego on January 3rd, 2010, with what projects to be another losing season.

Specifically, Wilbon printed the names of 5 people "who know personnel and are ready to build a football team", as relayed to him by someone in the NFL world who ostensibly knows such things. I'll allow that Wilbon is much more connected with such people than I am, and that his list contains merit.

So who are these guys, and which one of them is best suited to take on the task of wresting the Redskins personnel decisions from Snyder (good fricken luck)? I thought I'd check, instead of going to sleep like a normal person. In order of appearance...

<Please click the blue arrow icon above for the rest of this fine post>

Re: Washingtonian.com: The Dan Snyder You Don't Know (pub. 2006, MET) - posted October 29, 2009

From the article:

“Dan and I have gotten into a real partnership,” [Coach Joe Gibbs] says. “But he is the boss.”

... "We talk a lot,” Gibbs says. “We are back and forth all the time. We work down the hall from one another. I count on his opinion. He’s very instrumental on the draft, the salary-cap, free agency, strategy on how the team should be built.”

...

For contrast:

During his introductory press conference, Lombardi was asked about who would be the final decision maker in the franchise. He replied, "Well, I have been given his office."

When asked if he would let [Edward Bennett] Williams meet with the players, Lombardi said, "No, that won't be necessary."...

...A few weeks after taking the job, Williams mentioned to Lombardi that Jurgensen had come to the owner's office to talk to him. Lombardi was enraged. "Wait a minute!" he yelled, "I want you to remember one damn thing. If you ever talk to the ballplayers or disrupt anything I'm trying to do here, you can find yourself a new coach! I'm the one who is the coach. I don't want you to talk to anyone!"

Williams was not used to being spoken to in that manner... But he so wanted the Redskins to be a winning franchise that he swallowed his pride and embraced Lombardi's iron hand.

(From Hail Victory; An Oral History of the Washington Redskins by Thom Loverro)

...

What Allen and Shanahan Have Taught Us - posted April 5, 2010

1. The Redskins have obvious needs but this front office is going to be very unpredictable in HOW they go about fixing the roster and adding talent.

...

2. With Allen and Shanahan you can throw out any previous player evaluations or assumptions made based on what the Redskins did in previous years.

...

3. The Redskins are NOT in complete tear down mode.

Yes, 11 veteran players were released early on, but ...

4. The Redskins are going back to being value shoppers.

A lot of players have been added but as Allen promised it was going to be a steady accumulation rather than a rush at the beginning of free agency or in the period before camp opens.

The common theme has been shorter term contracts and the use of targeted incentives. You won't see the Redskins sign a free agent to the type of deal AH received in 2009 again.

...

5. While I believe the Redskins will be hard pressed to not take Okung if he is there at #4 overall, if the Lions take him at #2 I think all bets are off and you could see quite an interesting series of events take place as it comes time for the Redskins to pick on Day 1 of the draft

Re: The Chalk Talk Random Question Thread - posted May 4, 2010

This post is for people that still do not understand

the 3-4 defense and it's variations...

Also I will try to explain the "Hybrid D" that we keep hearing about...

First the 3-4:

NT = nose tackle

LDE = left defensive end

RDE = right defensive end

JACK = ROLB/Weak outside backer

MIKE = Weak inside backer

TED = Strong inside backer

SAM = LOLB/Strong outside backer

...

The Bullough:

This system is what most people think of when they think of the 3-4. It is based on 2-gap play on the D-line.

...

...

but one tactic commonly used in the Bullough is to "scissor" the front, meaning they shift the DL one way, and the LB's another. Here's a rough diagram of a scissor:

This gives the OL little time to react to a new formation...

...

The Phillips:

This system is not what people think of when they think of the 3-4, and causes people a lot of confusion because the original(Bullough) 3-4 is primarily a 2-gap system and this one isn't...

The Phillips is named after "Bum Phillips", father of DAL head coach Wade Phillips... Bum learned under "Bear" Bryant at Texas A&M in the college ranks, and later went on to coach in DEN as both a head coach and defensive coordinator, as a defensive coordinator in SD, as a HC in HOU(that's the Oilers for you young folks), and also for NO as a HC.

...

it's primary objective is not to clog blocks but to get into the backfield and harass RB's and QB's on every play...

...

As you can see The Phillips 3-4 is more aggressive than the Bullough 3-4. The school of thought for the Phillips 3-4 is to constantly use pressure/penetration on the offense to stop both the pass and run threats...The Phillips system is a threat to QBs, and attempts to get turnovers by cutting down the time that a QB has to make decisions, and hitting the QB...Famous disciples of this style of 3-4 include: Wade Phillips, Greg Manusky, Ted Cottrell...

Teams that currently employing this style of 3-4: DAL, SD, SF

The Lebeau Zone Blitz:

Attack, Attack, Attack!

The Zone Blitz is very nasty D to deal with...The Zone Blitz (also known as a fire zone) has been around for ages...

The idea is that the DL will often drop back into coverage, while several linebackers (and even defensive backs) will blitz...The offense usually has a hard time trying to decipher where the blitz is coming from and who is dropping, this is the one defense that prides itself on creating mass confusion in the QB and OL blocking schemes...Another aspect of this style of 3-4 is that the DL and LB's hit the OL hard and often and try to wear them down...This D is a very fun defense to watch.

...

Teams that currently employ this style of 3-4: PITT, GB, AZ

.

Redskins.Com: Is Offense or Defense the Problem? posted Sept 30, 2010

...

...

From the get go, any fan with even a whit of football acumen should have known that this year and possibly next year are going to be about growing pains. If you believed this was a playoff contender from the outset, you've allowed blind homerism to set you up for this sort of hopeless feeling.

It's only September. It sounds like a lot of people on this board expected miracles, and expected them as if it would be normal. Miracles don't happen. Our FO believing that they do is why we never have draft picks, and always are hiring a new coach. Look at the best teams, top of the tops, annual playoff participants,,, the Pats, Steelers, Colts, Eagles, all have a consistent philosophy, and THAT is what you need for continued long term success.

If you're constantly changing coaches, you are constantly building teams with mismatched parts from other philosophies that have come and gone. That is where we are now. Only so much can be done in one offseason to change that.

This is why it seems they have no end of great players, and can afford to lose just about anyone. Each of their players has a specific role in an already established successful scheme, and if he can't do it (such as Andre Carter) they don't pick him. We're sort of stuck with Carter playing OLB and he looks lost. I love Carter, but this is not his forte, obviously. that makes him a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

After all the years of following this team, how anyone doesn't know that yet is beyond me. To turn a franchise around takes time. It takes patience. And if fans don't have that, then they ain't much by way of fans.

~Bang

The confounding nature of many Redskins fans (or How the Media Pulls out Strings) posted Dec. 7th, 2010

Between last year and this year I have truly begun to wonder if the pressure from the fans, largely predicated on the manipulations of a Media whose primary goal is ratings and not what's best for the team, is almost as much to blame for the sad state of this Franchise as Dan Snyder.

Watching the past two three years has been mindboggling. After Gibbs the Media and the fans clamored for a "fresh, new face" ala Mike Tomlin or the presumed successor in Dallas at the time Jason Garrett to take over. A hot unknown coach that was in touch with today's NFL rather than the outdated nature of Gibbs. The players, fans, and media seemed thrilled to have a "players coach", somewhat that was "forward thinking" and more relaxed than someone who would work them like dogs early in the training camp (which was always the blame for the hamstring injury bug the years before).

They were tired of a Defense giving up big plays and getting torched, an offense that was too "80's" power running focused with Gibbs and then so convoluted with Al. They wanted to go trendy with the west coast, more pass happy, score more points.

We needed actual football people making the football decisions. We needed someone better than a glorified talent scout making the personel decisions. We always were making way over the top trades that were horribly unbalanced for positions we didn't need or for unproven/past their prime guys. We were paying ridiculous amounts of money and always were hard up for the cap.

And then the two Zorn years happened and the complaints take new shape. We need a credible big name guy who can demand respect. We needed someone that knew personel. We needed a real General Manager. We needed Snydder out. We needed someone that could take control, who wouldn't be a door mat for players. We needed to create turnovers and have an aggressive defense. We needed to throw the ball downfield more. We need a better QB. We need to draft an O-Lineman and we need to get stability on this team like they have in Pittsburgh and New England and Philly.

So the Redskins bring in a tough nosed Coach that won't take guff from players and is proven with two rings. They bring in a General Manager who put together a superbowl reaching roster and helped manage one that won one. They bring in a OC that is known for throwing the long ball. They bring in a DC whose focus is on turnovers and sacks. They do a relatively reasonable trade for a top level QB. They draft an OL and make an excellent trade for a guy two years removed from a probowl spot as a Tackle. They shed a ton of dead weight and get themselves in perfect cap position. They bring in some vets but don't overpay them. They give some younger guys some legitimate chances. The owner seemingly is staying out from meddling and people aren't being treated like "pet players" anymore.

And already you have fans and the media basically doing a 180. ee

...

The reality is, we're rebuilding. We started this season building off a roster that went 6 for its last 24 games. We were in a free agent market where there wasn't a lot out there for Offensive Line. We're growing into a 3-4 defense, a process that historically takes a year or two (Green Bay recently being one of the few exceptions). We have a shot at stability, but in part the FANS and especially the Media have to do their part and be realists here. This doesn't mean you don't come down on the team when its warranted or be critical, do it. But the hyperbole, the over reaction, it has to end.

If the fans, and the media who pull their strings, could perhaps be patient for 3 years and let this play out then perhaps Dan Snyder would too. And maybe, just maybe, we'll get some stability.

...

The Good Guys Always Wear Burgundy posted Jan. 9, 2011

Back in December, when ES member Khun Kao posted a team photo of the 1945 Redskins, I couldn't resist reminiscing in a post that this was the team that infected me with the bug. Gibbs Hog Heaven read my post and led others in encouraging me to write something about my experience.

1945 was a memorable year for me. In July, I turned ten. In August, I stood on the running board of a 1939 Pontiac as it rolled slowly down Pennsylvania Avenue through a huge crowd wildly celebrating Japan's surrender and the end of WW II. In November, my older brother, back safely from the war, took me to see my first Skins game. The opponent that day was the loathsome Bears team from corrupt Chicago.

For a dime each, my brother and I traveled by bus from Southeast DC, near the PG County line, to Barney Circle. There, we got a free transfer to a streetcar which took us all the way to Griffith Stadium located in the Northwest section of the city. The streetcar stopped conveniently within 25 yards of the main stadium entrance. We bought tickets for cheap seats in the South Stands.

The South Stands in Griffith Stadium were temporary, hiney-on-board bleachers erected on the baseball field for Redskins games. If the spectator didn't mind being fixed firmly into a wall of inebriated humanity, the view of the action was excellent. You sat close enough to hear the impacts and evaluate the lineplay.

I saw Sammy Baugh, the player that Harry Wismer, the radio broadcaster, had raved about. It was, of course, exciting to see him in real life and in Redskins colors.

Baugh had been put under center in the T-formation the previous year, so I never saw him at tailback and I can't recall seeing him play defense that day. At tailback in the single and double-wing formations, Baugh had posed a double-threat in third-and-long situations. He could pass or punt. The "quick kick" was a useful field-position weapon in its day. It caught the opponent's deep safety in a bind, not knowing until too late whether he should go back to field the punt or come up to defend the pass. When Sammy was moved under center, the quick kick threat was eliminated, so I never saw as much of the versatility that he displayed earlier in his career.

Seeing the fast and elusive Steve "Bugsy" Bagarus, who wore double-zero on his jersey excited me almost as much as seeing Sammy Baugh on that November day. A broken leg cut short Bugsy's pro career. 1945 was his rookie season and his best. He ran from a halfback position and returned punts and kickoffs. Sammy Baugh has called him the best receiver out of the backfield he ever played with.

I had to do some research to fortify my faded memory of my first live Redskins game. The 1945 Skins whipped the Bears 28-21 with Baugh and Bagarus connecting on a 70 yard TD. Bagarus also scored on an 18 yard run.

~

As a boy, it gave me pleasure to hate some world-class villains: Adolf Hitler of Germany, Hideki Tojo of Japan, Benito Mussolini of Italy, and Ed Sprinkle of the Chicago Bears.

There's a Sammy Baugh story that was stolen by Hollywood and used in the film, The Longest Yard, with Burt Reynolds in the role of a quarterback. The NFL Channel recently ran an old film clip of Sammy telling the story himself.

[Remember, this takes place before the invention of face masks and at a time when maiming an opponent's quarterback enough to get him out of the game was an acceptable strategy]

Baugh was being hammered hard and repeatedly by a defensive end. "I can't stop him" a lineman told his quarterback in shame. "Well, just step aside and let him through then," Baugh said. The lineman did as instructed. The defensive end came charging. Slingin' Sammy hit him in the face with a football-bullet. According to Baugh, the player went to the ground, then left the game woozy and with a broken nose. "Didn't stop him, though," Sammy added. "He returned to the game and just kept coming."

In that NFL clip, Baugh doesn't identify the evil opponent, but when I first heard the story, probably in 1946, my brother identified the player as Ed Sprinkle of the Chicago Bears. The Bears were a dirty football team (the Chicago Mob had a better reputation) and Ed Sprinkle, their defensive end, was their notorious ringleader.

I lay claim to a few redeeming qualities as a human being. One of them is that I don't hold grudges. Life's too short. Forgive and forget. That's why I can't explain about Ed Sprinkle. I don't know why, after more than 60 years, I still hate the prick.

~

I was 13 in the summer of 1948, still living in a segregated Southeast neighborhood, when someone warned me not to go near the Anacostia pool on its opening day. The pool was to be desegregated. The first race riot in the city took place that day on the Anacostia flats. The public wasn't as well-armed as it is today, so the rioters had to make do with baseball bats and switchblade knives.

That same summer, I was in the leftfield bleachers when Larry Doby, the Cleveland centerfielder, made his first appearance at Griffith Stadium. The usually rowdy bleacher crowd was subdued that day. I think most fans were like me, just curious to see if Doby could play the game... He could.

Larry Doby changed my perception of black athletes. Even as a boy, I knew that hating people because of race or religion was stupid. Yet, knowing that didn't stop me from accepting racial stereotypes. During the seventh inning stretch at Senators' games, the stadium announcer invited the white crowd to attend Negro National League games when the Senators were about to go on the road. The invitation didn't interest me. I imagined an inferior brand of baseball. I didn't know that the best baseball team playing regularly at Griffith Stadium was the elite Homestead Grays who had a roster loaded with great players like Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard. I never saw them play.

It wasn't until 1962 that the Redskins signed their first black player. To be candid, the immorality of George Marshall's racial stance didn't trouble me as much as the fact that the Skins weren't signing players nearly as good as Marion Motley and Jim Brown. When Bobby Mitchell came to town in a trade, all I cared about was whether he could play the game... He could.

~

In my preteen years, I could spend a quarter at the movies on Saturday and watch three B-Westerns with cowboy stars such as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Buster Crabbe. It was easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys in those films. The bad guys always wore black hats and the good guys wore white hats. On Redskins Sundays, even though the skin color of the players over the years changed from all white to mostly black, it has always been easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys. The good guys always wear burgundy.

The Great Unifier posted Oct. 25, 2011

I'm going to say 99.9% of you don't know me. I have long adhered to the(more relevant now), "read more, post less" viewpoint. I apologize if the thread title is not descriptive enough, but I hope it makes sense by the time you make it to the end of my post. I have been here for years, but I often find my opinions in threads to have already been expressed many times, so i've kept my silence. Some of you may not think that this is worthy of its own thread, some may. I see a lot of negativity, and I wanted to share my experiences of the last week with you guys.

A little background: I have been a Redskins fan since 1983. I was four years old, and my entire family is from Buffalo. One day, I turned on the T.V. I believe, it was the Redskins vs. the L.A. Rams. I was hooked since then. As a military brat, we occasionally lived in the D.C. area, but I was still the only Redskins fan I knew. Most of my life, 13 y/o and on, I lived in Florida. Not really a hotbed of Redskin's fandom. Not to mention my family is made up of only Bills fans. It was tough, but my love of the Redskins never diminished. A loss by the Redskins has always ruined my week.

Fast forward to this past weekend. I travel for a living. I am home about 11 weeks out of the year. I had the incredible good fortune of attending the Redskin's "pep rally" and also the game. What I saw and experienced was incredible. At the pep rally, everybody was so happy. People held the doors for each other, people laughed and told stories, and everybody was there for the same thing: They were Redskins fan. People sang H.T.T.R. and held their breaths as Bruce Allen walked by. I met people that under normal circumstances, I would have nothing in common with. But we were all joined by our love for the B+G. I was taken aback being around so many people that could accept each other joined by one thing, and nothing else mattered. My childhood friend, who is also a Redskins fan, made the trip up, he was also the first person I ever attended a Redskins game with. We hadnt seen each other for years, but we were again reunited and united by our love for the Redskins.

During the 4th quarter against Carolina, I was devastated. I was so upset, I wondered how I could possibly keep cheering for the Redskins. The pain sometimes seems so much. I got my answer while leaving the stadium and making my way back to the parking lot. It's every one of you guys. The loss hurt less knowing I was with people who completely understood the pain. I know very little about most of you. I don't know your politics, I don't know your views on global warming. But I know every game day, we feel the same emotions. The Redskins have not been a good team for a very long time, but the love among the fanbase has remained. I was amazed by the outpouring of support. We are one. We may differ on personnel decisions, draft strategy, and the coaching staff. But we are united by one thing: Our love for the Redskins. It is simply an amazing thing. Perhaps some of you that are around it all the time have forgotten the joy of a group of random people united by the same thing. Having never been a fan of another team, I dont know if other fanbases experience something similar. I have my doubts. I feel Redskins fans are the most loyal and knowledgeable around. I see so much negativity on ES these days. Posters calling each other out, even questioning each other's fanhood. GHH has a current thread, and I hated reading his prelude about people questioning his fanhood. His posting history speaks for itself, and the idea that he felt the need to head off certain criticisms was disheartening to me. This is ExtremeSkins, we are all here because we are fanatics. We may have dissenting opinions on many subjects, but that is why we are here. We are united by one thing, the reason any of us are even here: Our love for the Redskins. Discuss every subject under the sun, but as you do, remember one thing. You are surrounded by Redskins fans here. And that, in itself, is a great and wonderful thing. I hope you will all remember that next time you respond to a fellow poster. Redskins Nation. Hail.

ES: First Cousins, Once RG3 is Removed posted Dec. 10, 2012

You don’t need to be a doctor to know that the knee of Robert Griffin III will not be 100% healed by Sunday.

You don’t need to see his MRI results to understand what common sense will tell you: when a 340-pound man named Haloti Ngata nearly whipsaws a patella joint, that’ll leave a mark. You’re lucky to be walking at all after something like that.

The Redskins and their fluid, flickery rookie quarterback should certainly feel lucky today. After that replay was queued up in slo-mo a dozen times and Rich Gannon uttered a long, guttural groan of “uuuugghhhhhh” upon seeing that collision, you might have been thinking any of the following: broken leg, torn ACL, ruptured patella, probably gonna miss the rest of the season. (INSERT EXPLETIVE HERE.)

No one would blame you for those thoughts. Because, uuuugghhhhhh, it did look ugly. Almost Theismann-esque.

But then something highly improbable happened, as it so often does when it comes to the growing legend of RG3. He came back in after one play, completed two huge passes with the game on the line, before exiting the game for good. If the NFL had its own version of the Purple Heart, Griffin would certainly own one this morning.

Then something even more improbable happened. Another rookie quarterback – a 4th rounder with exactly 20 minutes and 56 seconds of regular season NFL experience – came in the game, threw a TD pass with time winding down, and then tied the game on a 2-point conversion.

Want more improbability? How about yet another rookie, returning punts in the NFL for the first time in his life, taking a beautifully placed, 56-yard Sam Koch punt from against the sideline deep in his own territory and bringing it back 64 yards.

Need more improbable rookie heroics? Why not, we’re on a rookie roll! How about a rookie kicker, who had already made 48 & 49 yard field goals in the game to keep his streak of perfection alive, slamming home the game winner on a sloppy field as if he were Morton Anderson practicing in a dome.

All this against a first-place Baltimore Ravens football team.

Translation: The Redskins can win without Robert Griffin III. At least in theory. And they should put that theory to the test this Sunday at the Factory of Sadness, AKA Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Now I know what you’re thinking. It goes something like this:

DUDE UR SO STUPID. THE SKINS PROLLY NEED TO WIN EVERY GAME TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS YOU IDIOT. WE CAN’T TAKE CLEVELAND LIGHTLY, THEY’RE BETTER THAN YOU THINK, AND RG3 EVEN AT 80% IS BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE WE HAVE AT QB. I’LL STOP READING NOW B/C YOUR WHOLE BASIS IS RIDIC.

Easy there, imaginary fella. Hear me out.

I could make a number of arguments as to why I think Kirk Cousins should get his first NFL start, six short days from now. They include opinions about getting reps with the 1st team offense, auditioning Cousins to increase his trade value, and not risking further injury to Robert Franchise.

Yet those are not strong enough arguments to sit a starting QB at such a crucial juncture in the season. The Redskins seem to be on the verge of their first playoff appearance since 2007. This is what you play for. You need to bring your best guns to the fight.

And that’s just the thing. Kirk Cousins is the Redskins’ best weapon at quarterback right now. Yep, better than RG3, if only at this precise moment in time. There, I said it.

Wait – my imaginary critic is about to have a cranial aneurism. Let’s hear what he has to say this time.

OMG U CAN’T SERIOUS. ARE YOU A DOCTOR? DOES YOUR CRYSTAL BALL TELL U HOW RG3 WILL HEAL DURING THE WEEK? YOU HAVE NO ACTUAL INFORMATION. RG3 IS MADE OF MAGIC PIXIE DUST IF U HAVEN’T FIGURED THAT OUT. HE WILL PLAY AND THROW EVEVENTY TD’S AGAINST THE BROWNS.

No. No he won’t. He shouldn’t try to play, and here’s why.

At this stage in his career, he’s not RG3 unless he can outrun defenders who seemingly have him in his grasp. He’s not RG3 unless he can turn the corner against the opposition’s fastest linebacker who took a good angle. He’s not RG3 if he can’t run a read option, split two defenders and run like lightening for ten yards at a clip.

Without all those abilities, he’s simply not RG3.

There’s no way he can do his thing a week after getting his leg bent in a way that no human should ever get their leg bent by a man as big as Haloti Ngata.

One day, he will likely be able to overcome a situation like this. But for right now, as good as he’s been, RG3 is at a point where he needs to use his legs to be who he is.

He’s not a polished pocket passer yet. So much of his success in the passing game is predicated on his ability to threaten defenses with his legs, one way or another. If a defense doesn’t have to defend against a 100% healthy RG3, then they can expose his rawness in the traditional NFL pocket passing game.

That’s Kirk Cousin’s game. Let him play it, if only just this once.

So basically, an ego-stroking thread?

Nay.

so if I like your post I copy and paste it in to that thread?

Uh, we hope you'd promote posts other than your own...

so if I like your post I copy and paste it in to that thread?

Bingo

its like sportscenter!

honestly i dont mind reading through the stadium when its something interesting...i think a lot of us more familiar with the site do this based on name recognition/length of thread/title among other things and weed out what looks like the potential to be a waste of time

what is going to stop someone from posting horrible posts to make a joke?

or...

this scenario...

you post one of my posts because you think it is really insightful and well put. then TK comes behind it and completely shreds it. Isnt that just setting it up for a big slugfest?

just thoughts bro....

Uh, we hope you'd promote posts other than your own...

I get that, but it would still work the same way.

also what about call out potential...

say i pwn3d one of you in an argument...i could highlight this in the "highlight" thread

sounds like a train wreck.

Anyone can read something and say "I like that" or "I agree, Campbell does lick monkey balls" and send it to the noteworthy thread?

bad idea

We can't quote pics or large posts because it takes up bandwidth, but you want to start a new thread where posters will post what others have already said just for the sake of saying it again. I'm gonna have to go against this one.

its like sportscenter!

honestly i dont mind reading through the stadium when its something interesting...i think a lot of us more familiar with the site do this based on name recognition/length of thread/title among other things and weed out what looks like the potential to be a waste of time

Yeah Like

Here is what's happening on ES RIGHT NOW!!!

DA da da Ba da da!

Its the Stadium who cares.

I think it would turn into an attention whore thread. :whoknows:

and also when i take over this thread with my obviously dominant quotes...i dont want to be that guy to the ES masses

sounds like a train wreck.

Anyone can read something and say "I like that" or "I agree, Campbell does lick monkey balls" and send it to the noteworthy thread?

bad idea

It's not about agreeing or disagreeing. It's about recognizing an intelligent post.

We can't quote pics or large posts because it takes up bandwidth, but you want to start a new thread where posters will post what others have already said just for the sake of saying it again. I'm gonna have to go against this one.

what is going to stop someone from posting horrible posts to make a joke?

or...

this scenario...

you post one of my posts because you think it is really insightful and well put. then TK comes behind it and completely shreds it. Isnt that just setting it up for a big slugfest?

just thoughts bro....

That's a really good post there. If there was a thread that posts posts that have already been posted, so that other posters can read that post because they haven't read the thread that the post was originally posted in, I'd post it there.

Seriously, Mike has a point.

We can't quote pics or large posts because it takes up bandwidth, but you want to start a new thread where posters will post what others have already said just for the sake of saying it again. I'm gonna have to go against this one.

You could just sticky any threads by 81 or Skinsfan51...

But seriously, the mods talk about policing the zoo (stadium) getting tiresome and this will just create more work it seems.

the level of discourse is definitely decreased, and the problem is not something that can be solved. There's SO many people here now that when a hot topic is being 'discussed', there's probably 10-20 people writing responses at the exact same time. Many of them duplicate the exact same thought, and because so many responses are posted to a hot topic in a short period of time, most of them get lost to whichever one happens to be the latest post.

Many times a response that takes five minutes to write is posted two pages beyond the part of the conversation it was relevant to those five minutes ago.

I don't know that a 'Noteworthy Posts" thread will work.. first because people will likely abuse it, and secondly because if it does include a noteworthy post, people will feel inclined to argue the point or continue the discussion right there in that thread.

the only way I can see it working is if it is Mod controlled.. no users post in it,, mods spot a good post and paste it in there with a link to the appropriate thread. If someone then wants to respond, they can click the link, quote the post, and do so.

If that works, then maybe some of these threads can be kept on a track of a good discussion instead of a meandering rambling stream of consciousness thing.

~Bang

what is going to stop someone from posting horrible posts to make a joke?

Hi there.

or...

this scenario...

you post one of my posts because you think it is really insightful and well put. then TK comes behind it and completely shreds it. Isnt that just setting it up for a big slugfest?

just thoughts bro....

Carefull what you wish for, huh.

Excellent points Bang. Thanks.

I think we'd have to have a rule (:doh: another rule) not to argue in that thread, but rather, go to the linked thread to argue - kind of like what we have for the Show Yourselves Thread - more pics, less chit-chat.

We can't quote pics or large posts because it takes up bandwidth, but you want to start a new thread where posters will post what others have already said just for the sake of saying it again. I'm gonna have to go against this one.

the level of discourse is definitely decreased, and the problem is not something that can be solved. There's SO many people here now that when a hot topic is being 'discussed', there's probably 10-20 people writing responses at the exact same time. Many of them duplicate the exact same thought, and because so many responses are posted to a hot topic in a short period of time, most of them get lost to whichever one happens to be the latest post.

Many times a response that takes five minutes to write is posted two pages beyond the part of the conversation it was relevant to those five minutes ago.

I don't know that a 'Noteworthy Posts" thread will work.. first because people will likely abuse it, and secondly because if it does include a noteworthy post, people will feel inclined to argue the point or continue the discussion right there in that thread.

the only way I can see it working is if it is Mod controlled.. no users post in it,, mods spot a good post and paste it in there with a link to the appropriate thread. If someone then wants to respond, they can click the link, quote the post, and do so.

If that works, then maybe some of these threads can be kept on a track of a good discussion instead of a meandering rambling stream of consciousness thing.

~Bang

I agree with both of these wholeheartedly. Good points.

Maybe they can go in the "Noteworthy Posts" thread?

Regardless, I vote 'nay' as well.

Also, maybe a "rep" system, or something like that to encourage people to try and post better?

if you get a post placed in that Noteworthy thread, you get some points or something.

~Bang

Excellent points Bang. Thanks.

I think we'd have to have a rule (:doh: another rule) not to argue in that thread, but rather, go to the linked thread to argue - kind of like what we have for the Show Yourselves Thread - more pics, less chit-chat.

If it's mod controlled, you could lock it from replies.

~Bang

Also, maybe a "rep" system, or something like that to encourage people to try and post better?

if you get a post placed in that Noteworthy thread, you get some points or something.

~Bang

Yes - that actually occurred to us - that it might promote better posting through positive reinforcement.

If it's mod controlled, you could lock it from replies.

~Bang

Having it mod controlled was the original idea, but we kind of moved from that to this...