WP: The heat seems to be getting to the Washington Wishful Thinkers

[hail2skins]

Another part of Wise's article I remember was him saying that "nobody should be talking about a championship in August, unless perhaps you're Peyton Manning, who has been to the AFC title game recently."

After Manning and the Colts started out 13-0 and then totally crapped the bed against the Steelers at home in their first playoff game, I think the last thing anyone on that team should do is predict a championship.

[JohnLockesGhost]

I think Wise praises Gibbs in this article mainly. It's not a bad article. It's all about respecting your opponents and playing hard.

Don't worry though. I still remember his article about our "bush league fans" after the Chicago game last year. Still hate him for it. We were great. 3 straight offsides calls. I couldn't hear myself yelling.

This article is all about pissing in your corn flakes.

The Cooley and Portis quotes both point to sacrificing individual numbers for the sake of a winning team. I thought when I heard Brunell, his comments were completely innocuous. This is all much ado about nothing.

[ouvan59]

Ah crap. I had a long drawn out response to this, and then my IE crashed. No way I'm writing all that out again. So quickly:

1) His statement wasn't false. While the schedule doesn't change as much as it used to since the re-alignment, it does change a bit. No matter that some of the lesser teams improved along with the Skins - that statement isn't patenly false, as you suggest.

2) Pointing out the positives is outside the scope of this article. The Post has pointed out the positives in many other pieces. This article was about the fallacy of boasting in August.

3) Did Wise say that the 5-6 Redskins were the real Redskins? No he did not. You chose to see it that way. He merely pointed out that the SKins are a .500 team since Gibbs came back, and that not too long ago, they had a losing record, so let's not hand over the Lombardi trophy just yet.

1. But the problem is that the 6-10 schedule proved to be tougher than the the one they would have had had they finished 10-6. His assertion is clearly that they benefited from the schedule they received when in fact they didn't. So his point is clearly false.

2. I do agree that the point of the article is that talking big can come back to haunt you, he clearly cherry-picked his comments from Portis, Cooley and Brunell to make his point. If you see the interviews they all make note of how tough it is going to be and how much work is going to be needed. Both Portis and Cooley are making the points that they don't care how much they touch the ball as long as they win and Wise gathers from that that they are talking Super Bowl.

UnWise Mike "Clinton, are you going to be upset that there are more weapons and you won't see the ball as much?"

Clinton Portis "Winning the NFC East. Win the NFC championship game. Winning the Super Bowl. Rushing yards don't matter to me as long as I get a ring."

UnWise Mike (thinking to himself) "Crap, those writers in Dallas have all the luck. I've got no story here. Oh wait, he mentioned the Super Bowl! So did Brunell! Let me go ask Cooley the same question. I've got my story!!! The Redskins are claiming they are going to win the Super Bowl! Sweeeet!"

Now lets look at the real point of Cooley's and Portis' comments. "We don't care how much we get the ball as long as we have a shot at the Super Bowl."

3. Nothing Wise said in this statement was not factual but it was also taken out of context to prove his point. Joe Gibbs is in fact 17-17 since his return but the team that was on the field the first half of 2004 wasn't as good as the team that was out there the second half of 2004 which wasn't as good as the team that was out there the first half of 2005 which wasn't as good as the team that was out there the second half of 2005. This is a team that has gotten better at every juncture. They haven't been a .500 team since Joe Gibbs came back. They are a bad team that has improved and improved and improved.

UnWise Mike is right. A lot has to go right for this team to even make the Super Bowl but he could have written a better article by pointing out the positives and the negatives.

[E-Dog Night]

Good post O. All those years in the ESPN trenches have served you well. :laugh:

As I also mentioned, the Redskins schedule turned out to be much harder than it looked on paper in 2005. Wise really should have mentioned this and altered the content appropriately. Otherwise, I didn't have much problem with the piece.

[fansince62]

got to agree with Dirk. what a pointless article...not one original thought. Skins aren't saying "they are going to win it all"...they are saying "our goal is to win it all." would we have it any other way? no.

what a tool this wise-guy is.

[XxSpearheadxX]

I think that was George Solomon but I could be wrong.

I really thought it was Wilbon, but I also could be wrong. UnWise Mike is an assclown, as an earlier poster stated.

100% Grade A Assclown with a word processor.

He consistently says dumb stuff, but this is the first article I just put down on the kitchen table and rolled my eyes.

[Sellersfan]

Im sorry, but to hear a player say anything but winning a SB would be a disappointment. It is easy to say that players play for a million dollar paycheck, but I,m sure Dan marino would like at least one SB.

Anyone who has been apart of a real team has to realize it comes down to chemistry. The 06 Redskins have that. We are not going to be loaded at every position, just like any other team. It is the pieces we have that will win us a SB. Defense and Offence are sound. We are a well rounded team that WILL go far into the playoffs. To expect less will be disappointing.

[tr1]

UnWise Mike is a Tony K. wannabee. This is his way of getting attention. Ignore him.

[BleedBNG]

I even heard during one of the Gibbs interviews from Redskins.com some weasel writer say to Gibbs "Mark Brunell predicted a Super Bowl - how do you feel about that?" Gibbs had to correct the guy on what Brunell actually said.

I heard it too and thought "What the ****?" And after reading Wises article all I could say was "OK... so?" If they were asked what their goal was for this season, I could give a rats petunia if ALL of them answered "To go 19 games undefeated."

Wises next article will be 'Crying Wolf in a Crowded Theater.'

:jerk:

[ouvan59]

I really thought it was Wilbon, but I also could be wrong.

http://www.redskins.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=10727

I haven't found the actual article by Solomon but here is a reference to it by Art last year. Scan down a little more than halfway down the article.

"Imagine how uncouth I felt discovering the media viewed our actions as flawed. I'm devoting this space this week to thanking former Washington Post sports editor George Solomon for pointing me toward the true path.

After our victory against the Bears, Solomon wrote in his column, "What I do not agree with is Gibbs congratulating the fans at FedExField for making so much noise Bears QB Kyle Orton had trouble getting off his plays. I call that behavior bush league. In similar situations at NFL stadiums, the QB should step back and wait for the noise to subside, or until the home team is hit with a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct." "

[tr1]

UnWise Mike used to write for the NY Times...shall I say more?

[whatmeworry]

UnWise Mike is a transplanted New Yorker (ala Sally King) who doesn't like the Redskins and even wrote an article about how the team name should be changed.

Th WP has never gotten over Danny snatching those cushy seats from them that they were reselling (probably to opposing fans). Enough said.

[scruffylookin]

One other thing in his column that bears scrutiny. Why should Peyton Manning be allowed to talk Super Bowl and not the Redskins?

What the hell has Peyton Manning ever won?

He's a great regular season QB who has a track record since college of choking in the big games. What makes anyone who's watched college and pro football these last 10 years think Peyton Manning will deliver a title.

He's also lost Edge in the backfield and while Wise likes to cite the Skins 5-6 record, never mind the fact that they beat every NFC division winner last year, I'll point out that the Colts had their "great" and "magical" season last year. No way they go 13-0 again. They've blown their golden opportunity and it's very unlikely that they'll be that good again. Think 1998 Minnesota Vikings.

As others have said, Wise is an outsider who just can't stand it when the "locals" get excited. Wilbon, while still prone to this too sometimes, used to be really bad about that about 15 years ago but has gotten better.

Trust me, the last thing a guy like Wise wants is the Redskins winning a Super Bowl. He would be miserable. He'd much rather have them experience a Norvlike 1998 0-7 where he can wow us with his wit and lame Kornheiser-lite jokes.

[whatmeworry]

I think that was George Solomon but I could be wrong.

You are correct.

[bubba9497]

UnWise Mike is actually......

WeownU

[DeaconBlue]

UnWise Mike is actually......

WeownU

That ,as much as it pains me, may be unfair to WeownU Bubba. For the nonce Mr.Wise is farther up my S-list than our friend WeownU. Oh well.

[Skin Patrol]

I thought the entire thrust of the article was ludicrous, as if teams should be overly pessimistic. I love the fact that Brunell comes out with confidence.

In any event, we all agree that the most ridiculous thing was the 6-10 comment. The strength of schedule is determined at the END of the year, not at the beginning. And last year the Skins schedule was BRUTAL. We played all 4 divisional winners and beat 3 of them in the regular season (including Seattle, who played in the Superbowl) and ultimately beat Tampa Bay in the playoffs, which means the Skins won against all 4.

They had to run the NFC East gambit which, with 36 wins, was tied for the most competetive division in the NFL last season (with the AFC West, who we also played).

The Skins had one of the toughest schedules in the league and, perhaps more tellingly, had the 2nd highest strength of *VICTORY*, second only to San Diego (who, incidentally, we played).

So when Wise says the Skins won "because of" their schedule, I say they won despite their schedule, which was a real credit to them last year.

[sparkosaurus]

What is this dude's problem? What is it with the WP? So when a writer (probably this dude) asks what someone from a proven playoff team's goal is, they aren't supposed to say "Super Bowl" ? What a d***!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/04/AR2006080401397.html

I haven't even read past the first two sentences and this guy is a joke....HE IS A PAID REPORTER and he writes "Chris Cooley on why he could care less about how many passes he catches."

Yo, English Major...the phrase is "could NOT care less"...think about it...if you don't care about something the you could NOT care any less...to say "I could care less" means that YOU STILL CARE....

this is something that runs rampant here in america...people say "i could care less" all the time and it simply doesn't make sense....people say "irregardess" all the time...irregardless isn't a real word, it's a double negative...it's a blend between irrespective and regardless...instead of just chosing one (the proper words to use) for some reason irregardless became part of american vernacular..

sorry to be an english dork but this guy gets paid to write and he can't even speak..based on the few posts I've read, I have a feeling I'll be even more enthusiastic about the rest of the article.

[Peregrine]

Talk about an ironic last name lol. This guy doesnt know jack about football or the Redskins. Case in point: "And let's not forget that part of the reason Gibbs went 10-6 last year was a schedule based on 6-10 the year before."

HELLOOOO? DO YOU ACTUALLY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT FOOTBALL? The NFL hasnt scheduled schedules that way for years. Its preset years in advance(and we had one of the TOUGHEST schedules last season). He should at least read up a little on the sport hes reporting for :-P

[sparkosaurus]

We're all gushing. As fans, this is what we do.

But I didn't see this article as doom and gloom at all, and I certainly don't think that UnWise Mike set out to write this article just to put a damper in the day of Redskins fans.

He makes the very cerdible point - indeed, a point made several times on this board - that the O-line is one major injury away from a reality that I'd rather not think about. But as a sports journalist, it's his job to point out these types of things.

I'm with you so far but here's the problem I have with the article..the guy is going on and on about the comments Brunell and Portis made about the Superbowl...and he's taking them out of context in an effort to try and position himself as an authority on football PR and issue the fans and the team a "warning" on speaking about the SB in August.

CP was asked what his goals were...he gave the answer printed...win the division, the conference, the superbowl....Name one player in the NFL who doesn't have those goals...did he make a guarantee? did he say the team was ready, capable, or even had a chance to do it??? NO! He said that's what his goals were for this year...I don't think even Joe Gibbs would have a problem with that answer in the context of the question...

Likewise Brunell stated that after last years success, that he (and he believes every guy on the team) would be "disappointed" if they didn't go the distance...we made the playoffs last year....if we don't do better, if we don't win it all, we'd be disappointed....apparently it's OK for Peyton Manning to say this because he lost in the playoffs more years in a row than we did, but for Brunell, it's a no-no...

that's the problem I have with the article...I think talking about the superbowl this early *is* dangerous...he's right on that point...but he's butchering our players otherwise innocuous quotes just so he can write said article...

my :2cents:

[sparkosaurus]

It's in the job description...

"Wanted: marginally talented writers with surly attitudes to be official 'wet blankets' to the players and fans of local NFL sports team. Must be able to not see the forest for the trees. Blinders provided upon hiring. Employment dependent upon passing drug test first...if you pass it, you won't get hired."

...a hatred for short rich business men who own professional sports franchises, a plus...

[BleedBNG]

UnWise Mike is a transplanted New Yorker (ala Sally King) who doesn't like the Redskins and even wrote an article about how the team name should be changed.

Well that says it all. Perfect for the comPost.

The Washington Wishful Thinkers are wrapping up their first week of training camp, and either the heat has been getting to them or they like doing Pro Football Weekly's job.

Looks more like the heat is getting to the Washington "Wishful" Post.

[Gigantor]

The washington compost is in panic mode right now. Their circulation is way down, they had to layoff a lot of people, close a printing plant and slim down the paper. Have you noticed the paper is a about a third as thick as it used to be?

The staff hates Danny 'cause he bypassed them with this forum, redskins.com tv and on top of that, he stopped giving them free tickets. It used to be that they had a near monopoly on redskins coverage, not anymore.

In fact, they probably lost a lot of customers since this website came online. Sour grapes...

Just cancel your subscription, there's nothing but the opinion of a bunch of sore loosers to read there anyway.

[kevinklein]

Hm...when asked for their goals, do any players say, "Oh, yeah. I'd like to reach the Divisional Playoffs. Yeah, that's good enough for me."

[AzSkinsFan63]

UnWise Mike sounds pretty dumb...

Sorry..but the facts are the facts..There is absolutley nothing wrong with what any player has said..What a friggin idiot to even write an article about this!!!!!!!!!