Camp Quandries...

Redskins training camp gets underway today in Ashburn...and the second year of the Jim Zorn era has no shortage of question marks.

Things to look for...
Continued growth for Campbell--for the first time since early in his college career, the skins starting quarterback will enter a second straight season under an offensive system.

Which receiver will step forward?--last year's three second round picks Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly and Fred Davis combined for 21 catches... that won't work this fall as each has a year under his belt.

Hold the Line--the departure of Jon Jansen leaves the right tackle position open... will Stephon Heyer claim the spot or will we see a revolving door?

What will Haynesworth be?-- the Skins prize free agent signing has had multiple minicamps and OTA's to acclimate himself with coordinator Greg Blache's defense...

Orakpo's destination-- first the team has to sign their top draft pick...and then the rookie's education continues in a pair of positions--defensive end and linebacker.

Cut to the quick-- the good news this July is there's more depth on the roster. The bad news is the Skins can only keep 53...it will be interesting to see who plays their way into a Skins uniform this summer...or who plays his way off the team.

Stuck in a Vice... rating the running mates.

The official resignation of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin takes me away from my crossword-by-the-pool this early July... as I marvel at the rise ad decline of a modern phenomenon-- not since Ronald Miller's incredible journey in "Can't Buy Me Love" have we seen anyone go from low status to high status to no status.

No matter what eventually happens to America's #1 Hockey Mom...she definitely has made her mark on our nation's most exclusive club that most members wouldn't choose to be in--vice presidential candidates. Where does she rank in those that dreamed to be a phone call away? I broke down the VP nominees since 1960 (sorry, I can't justify debating the if Estes Kefaufer or John Sparkman was the better running mate for Stevenson against Eisenhower--I get drowsy just typing this sentence).

Regardless of the candidates politics...there are a few fundamental questions regarding each one: Did the running mate bring credibility to the ticket? Did they deliver states from a region the presidential candidate didn't come from? Did they avoid major embarrassment, faux pas, indictments and shock therapy?

I separated the candidates into three categories:

Difference-makers: these are the candidates who delivered states (legally of course) and regions... and every so often changed the dynamic of the race.

LBJ- (Kennedy, 1960)... the classic VP blueprint--balancing experience and geography to give JFK a foothold in the south in one of the tightest races ever. Without Johnson... Texas (24 electoral votes) and the south are suddenly on the table and the New Frontier looks awfully different. The JFK-LBJ tandem was the Goldfinger of presidential tickets...ever since then we've seen the formula repeated--with the impact far from matched.

Gore-(Clinton, 1992)... far from a slamdunk against George H. W. Bush, the choice of Al Gore gave the Arkansas governor credibility (the second-term Tennessee Senator was nationally known having run for President in '88) and the ticket a monopoly on the baby boomer generation. Coupled with Perot's weird withdrawal the week of the Democratic Convention, a campaign in trouble turned the corner and found a bridge if not to the 21st century--at least to the White House.




Bentsen- (Dukakis, 1988)... "You're no Jack Kennedy"--hands down one of the money slams of all time. The Dems tried to replicate 1960's Mass-Tex tandem to no avail-- but he gave energy to a campaign that excited nobody. Many preferred the GD Spradlin lookalike (actor who played the corrupt senator in Godfather II, the Landryesque coach in North Dallas Forty and evil hoops coach in One On One) as president instead of Dukakis or Bush.


Mondale-(Carter, 1976)...the Minnesota Senator gave the outsider Jimmy Carter an anchor inside the beltway and someone from the midwest to balance the ticket--and he more than held his own against Bob Dole in the debate.


Bush- (Reagan, 1980)... solidified Reagan's base and gave the Republicans a unified front-- while making sure that Gerald Ford's proposed "co-presidency" fiasco wouldn't happen. Yes, he said he "kicked some ass" after debating Ferraro in '84, but he caused minimal problems on the campaign trail.

Sometimes the VP choice has minimal impact regardless of the choice... the following choices weren't hot or cold--just lukewarm.

Lieberman-(Gore, 2000)...in the shadow of the Monica Lewinsky scandal the Vice President had to try to figure out how to get credit for Clinton's "on the field triumphs" while distancing himself from the "off the field tragedies"--and he found the perfect running mate in the first Democratic Senator to publicly blast the President for the Lewinsky situation. Unfortunately Gore's sighing during his debate with Bush and inability to carry his own home state of Tennessee made Florida the focus.

Cheney-(GW Bush, 2000)...many were mystified when the leader of the search for Bush's runningmate ended with himself. His extensive experience inside the beltway as Chief of Staff as well as Defense Secretary gave the ticket stability (GWB having just six years total experience in government); he then went on to behave like the prototypical VP candidate with no major gaffes or issues. The best thing about the two VP candidates in 2000 was they knew well enough to get out of the way and allow the real entertainers (Bush & Gore) to take center stage.

Humphrey-(Johnson, 1964)...seriously, nobody was going to beat the Democrats that year. Least of all Barry Goldwater. Hubert Horatio provided LBJ with some humor horse-riding on the President's ranch--if anything, his "promotion" robbed the party of one of their better minds in the Senate...and helped propel Walter Mondale to the national stage (he'd leave his post as Minnesota Attorney General to take Humphrey's seat).

Muskie-(Humphrey, 1968)...as unbeatable as they were in '64, a chaotic campaign marked by Eugene McCarthy's NH surprise, LBJ withdrawing, RFK's assassination and the chaos on the convention floor seemed to work against the Democrats four years later. Oh, and George Wallace split away the party's once-solid south. At least Maine's favorite son delivered his state's four electoral votes. Problem was, there weren't any other obvious choices from a state that would effectively balance the ticket (San Francisco mayor Joseph Alioto the only remote possibility)--although it should be noted Alabama football coach Bear Bryant received one and a half votes in the presidential convention balloting.

Dole-(Ford, 1976)... one of the few situations worse than the Democrats in '68 came eight years later for the other party...in the wake of Watergate, Pardons and Whip Inflation Now Gerald Ford faced Jimmy Carter a battered candidate by a primary challenge from Ronald Reagan. While the conservative senator from Kansas helped Ford lock down the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain states, he caused a stir by blaming Democratic presidents for World Wars I & II, Korea and Vietnam. I'm trying to see the link between Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare and Woodrow Wilson...or at least maybe there was something between Japan's imperialistic designs and FDR. At least nobody lied about Dole's record in '76.

Kemp-(Dole, 1996)... Clinton-Gore's Bridge to the 21st Century ran right through a ticket that pit a pair of ideological opposites...Dole an arch-conservative all about the balanced budgets against Kemp the supply-side economist. The ex-Buffalo Bills quarterback actually was well received on the campaign trail; in fact more than once Kemp was introduced with the enthusiasm befitting the presidential candidate instead of the running mate. Unfortunately for the topsy-turvy ticket at odds with itself, their fate resembled that of Kemp's hometown Bills earlier that decade--second place.

Biden-(Obama, 2008)...after a mantra of change in the primaries... the Democrats chose a six-term Senator from Delaware (gotta love those three electoral votes) to provide national security and foreign policy experience to the ticket. While Biden's history included a semi-plagiarized campaign speech in 1988...there were no major gaffes and he was almost an afterthought--according to Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, Biden was only included in 5% of the news coverage of the race. He wasn't even the most popular Joe involved--that honor belonging to "Joe the Plumber", aka Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher.

Edwards- (Kerry, 2004)...the Massachussetts Senator had narrowed his VP choices to three candidates from states that had either voted for Bush or had come close (Gore won Iowa by 0.31%): Missouri Congressman Dick Gephart, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and former primary rival/North Carolina Senator John Edwards. The former litigator's selection was hailed by party regulars--but his inexperience was focused on during the general campaign. Edwards' running in the primaries was also used as a detraction: in the VP Debate, Dick Cheney told Edwards they had never met because of Edwards' frequent absences from the Senate--although videotaped proof existed that had Cheney and Edwards shaking hands at an official event. Still, Kerry/Edwards failed to carry North Carolina--or any of its bordering states. If they had just taken the Carolinas in addition to their other states, they would have won.

Ferraro-(Mondale, 1984)..."morning in America" meant curtains for Mondale. While his choice of the New York Representative was an inspired one, it came against the backdrop of the Democrats looking like they were pandering to whichever group would net them the most votes-- while using the VP spot as a way to , gain votes isn't a new thing (back in the day there always seemed to be a New York or Ohio feel to the ticket), it seemed like that year they were just dropping all pretenses.

Lodge (Nixon, 1960)... there's nothing so brilliant as nominating a VP from the same home state as the opposing party's presidential candidate--especially when he lost to said candidate eight years ago in a senate race. Did Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. bring anything dynamic to the 20th century's watershed race? To paraphrase then-President Eisenhower, if you give me a week I might think of one. Nixon should have tapped NY governor Nelson Rockefeller instead.

Embarrassments: somewhere these people's pictures are warnings to prospective nominees-- these few should have stuck to mowing lawns and playing late night poker instead of buying Cindy Mancini a suede outfit.

Miller (Goldwater, 1964)... yes, he was from New York--but when a VP candidate appears in American Express "Do you know me" commercials after the election...you've got problems. When you have difficulty getting re-elected in one's own district...you've got problems. Why not Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton? The primary reason Miller was picked was because according to Goldwater -"he drives [President] Johnson nuts". So not only did they go on to lose spectacularly, Goldwater robbed his party of a congressional thorn in the side of LBJ--Miller would never return to the House.

Agnew- (Nixon, 1968)... one of the classic "who?" choices as VP that mystified conventional wisdom. Unfortunately we eventually discovered who he was--from being the White House's hatchet man (does the phrase "nattering nabobs of negativism" ring a bell?) to pleading nolo contendre to criminal charges of tax evasion and money laundering-- we wish he was simply not famous instead of infamous. Remarkably, he didn't really hurt Nixon's campaign.

Quayle- (GHW Bush, 1988)--Potatoe. "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy". Murphy Brown. "What a waste it is to lose one's mind." The youthful senator from Indiana at first seemed like any other unknown thrust into the national political spectrum. Thank goodness he surpassed everyone's expectations and became a national punchline for four years. If anything his selection called Bush-41's judgement into question...if this was his choice for VP, what other decisions will we have to worry ourselves about?


Palin (McCain, 2008)--the irony of being parodied on "Saturday Night Live" was that during and after the campaign it seemed as though the Alaska Governor was the one not ready for prime time. It didn't help that it appeared as though the SNL bunch had it in for her--or that she was all too easy to parody. It could have been a choice that pushed voters to McCain... instead it was one that had everyone scratching their heads--and wondering if this Maverick wasn't the top gun they needed in Washington. If anything it grounded the A-4 pilot's campaign permanently.


Eagleton (McGovern, 1972)--the gold standard of bad vice presidential choices...his failure to disclose the fact he'd had shock therapy or had been hospitalized for mental health problems stole whatever momentum the campaign had--and then he put the engine into reverse by withdrawing after McGovern said he'd back him 1000%. But his killer blow to the Democrats hopes came in a comment he gave under anonymity to columnist Bob Novak--


"The people don’t know McGovern is for amnesty, abortion and legalization of pot," the senator said. Once middle America — Catholic middle America, in particular — finds this out, he’s dead." McGovern then became known as the candidate of "amnesty, abortion and acid."


One of the few instances of harming a campaign from the inside and the outside.

Halladay/Holliday plans...to err is National... par for the course...

Baseball's trading deadline gives the haves and have-nots opportunities to improve their short and longterm prospects...with contenders looking to load up on hired hands while cellar-dwellers try to build their talent pool. Much like the "salsa-seltzer" bit from Seinfeld I was amused at the St. Louis' trade for "the other Holliday"--not Toronto ace pitcher Roy Halladay, aka the prize of this July's trading deadline... but Oakland outfielder Matt Holliday. Can't you just hear Cardinal fans?--"We got Halladay?"..."No, Holliday"..."That's what I said!"...One doesn't often think of the Cards as a team heavily involved in midseason swaps, but in the last month they've added a quality utilityman in Mark DeRosa, a legitimate shortstop in Julio Lugo and now a run-producing corner outfielder.


Both the Nationals and Orioles are in the "sell" mode this year... while I don't think the O's will part with gems Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts--the Nats are reportedly making just about their entire roster available--including slugger Adam Dunn. It's tough to imagine what a team on a pace for 47 wins would be like minus their best hitter (on pace to hit 40+ homers and tally 110 RBI)...I'd rather see the club send Nick Johnson or Christian Guzman somewhere for prospects than watch the Nats give up their one drawing card (although Ryan Zimmerman's the future of the franchise, Dunn's power potential during his late inning at-bats keep fans at the ballpark--where they'll buy ice cream, another soda and one last beer).


One major blemish on this year's team has been the multitude of errors-- the Nats lead all of baseball with 94 errors--and the left side is remarkably swiss-cheeselike: third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and shortstop Christian Guzman are tied for the team lead with 13 errors apiece...and leftfielder Adam Dunn's one off their pace with 12 errors. Reserve infielder Alberto Gonzalez has committed the majority of his blunders at short--I guess the idea when batting against the Nats is hit 'em where they are.


Tom Watson's near-miss at the British Open was heartbreaking...as a perfect storm powered the hall of famer for 71 holes: no Tiger, no Phil, a familiar course...Watson missed a chance at his ninth major thanks to a poor putt at the end of regulation--which is somewhat fitting because it was his putting that fell off the map in the mid-80's when it seemed he had at least 3 or 4 more major championships in his career. At age 59, it looked like Watson would vanquish the demons that left him with "only" eight majors and a PGA shy of a grand slam... instead it's another near-miss at a magical moment (aka Kenny Perry at this year's Masters and Rocco Mediate at last year's US Open)-- making Jack Nicklaus' Masters miracle in '86 all the more outstanding.

Sergio Garcia (tied for 38th) credits his recent poor play to his breakup with Greg Norman's daughter... I'm sorry Sergio, I'm sure she's nice--but wouldn't you be better off pursuing somebody with a better family history in majors? Doesn't Jack Nicklaus have a niece? Perhaps Arnold Palmer has a granddaughter? I don't know Gary Player's family tree, but you get the idea...

Age is more than just a number...

My uncle Bill passed away earlier this year...and I didn't know about it until I committed a family faux pas. But it was fitting.


You see, this uncle Bill was my grandmother's brother-- and he'd lived in Florida for as long as I can remember. Although I genuinely admired the guy-- I rarely saw him. If I had uncle rankings as a kid-- he wouldn't have cracked the top five (for those scoring at home: Bob, Jimmy, Jeff, Henry with cousin once removed Preston Williams as a wildcard qualifier). Even among uncle Bill's I dealt with my mother's sister's husband more as a kid.


Thus it was no surprise that I didn't know he passed until a few months after the fact... or maybe it destined to be that way...


You see, three years ago I attended my cousin Ben's wedding. I hadn't been to a family gathering in some time (my goal was to create false demand for me at these things by not showing up to everything) and naturally I wanted to avoid any "family faux pas"...so when my mother picked me up at the airport I asked her if there were any divorces, deaths or other newsmaking items I should know about...and I think all I got was that my grandmother's pug Polly passed away.



I couldn't wait to see my grandmother--it had been about 5 years since I saw "Che Che"...and she and I would always reminisce about her house in Ridgewood NJ as well as her cantankerous Aunt Sade (#1 in my aunt rankings followed by Mimi, Alice, Dottie and Hazel). One thing Sade liked to do was instigate--and whenever anyone would mention my grandmother's brother Bill and his wife Laura, she'd always slyly ask "how old do y'all think Laura really is?".



Bill and Laura were married for 50+ happy and wonderful years...they met in a day when husbands were older than wives... and although the rumor was out there that Laura was "a little bit older" than Bill (anywhere from 5 to 15), nobody knew the exact difference. Not that this mattered. They had a wonderful life together and a fantastic family. But as it's not socially acceptable to ask anybody's age, it became impossible not to wonder what their ages were.


So when I saw Che Che at Ben's wedding...I asked how she was doing and she remarked about how she'd be getting together with her brothers Jim and Bill that summer--my instigation gene kicked in and I threw out the "yes...I hear Laura's having a birthday soon..." hanging curveball she would smack into the seats.


Only instead I was greeted by a face of disbelief and confusion followed by my Uncle Chris (ranked 6th he makes the tournament but doesn't get a home game) saying softly..."no mother, Laura's not having any more birthdays." Evidently I was kept in the family loop about my grandmother's pug, but not about my Aunt Laura's unfortunate passing. After about 15 to 30 seconds of really awkward staring and stammering I excused myself to the men's room.


Was it fitting that I didn't know about either's passing until an awkward social situation more than a few months later with my grandmother? They say when it comes to love and happiness destiny does strange things...and perhaps this was just a trickle of the love that Bill and Laura shared finding its way into the life of a nephew they didn't know that well.


Later that evening I took aside my Aunt Dorothy (aka Dottie--#4)...and expressed to her how sad I was to hear that Laura had passed away. She responded by telling me her sister-in-law had led a full life..."a wonderful 95 years". My Uncle Bill was 84 at the time. I guess we finally found out.

Skins go for supplemental steak instead of sizzle...

Just when you thought the Skins were enjoying a quiet summer... the team bolstered its defensive line by taking Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon in the third round of the NFL's supplemental draft (they'll lose a third round pick in the 2010 draft). The Wildcat was declared ineligible for his senior season after testing positive for a banned diuretic supplement.

Jarmon tallied 130 tackles and 17 and a half sacks over three seasons in Lexington; his best campaign was 2007 when he notched 13 sacks and was voted second team all-SEC. 2008 brought added attention from opposing offensive lines and Jarmon's sacks shrunk to 4 and a half. At 6-3 and 278 pounds (with a 40-time ranging from 4.75 to 4.84) the newest Redskin could fit in at either defensive end or tackle... some experts have him pencilled in at left end; regardless Jarmon should be able to add depth by giving veterans Andre Carter and Phillip Daniels additional rest.

A good football team is like a nice steak dinner--and for years the Skins have focused more on sides (runningbacks, receivers and defensive backs) that the entree (both lines). Two years ago I had wished they'd taken Maryland tackle Jared Gaither--who's settled in well with the Ravens. Taking Jarmon in addition to the drafting of Brian Orakpo and signing of Albert Haynesworth should pay dividends defensively this fall. Now if they can only get some OL depth.

A new error, um...era plus the Skins BEEF UP!

They say doing the same thing while expecting different results is the definition of insanity. At Nationals manager Jim Riggleman's press conference Wednesday, the new skipper said he would pretty much do the same things ex-manager Manny Acta tried to do...





Strengths--bats up and down the lineup, pitching potential...from Adam Dunn to Nyjer Morgan-- the upgrades to last years thin sticks has paid off thus far. Morgan is settling in as a threatening leadoff hitter while Dunn's pursuit of a fifth straight 40-home run season is going as scheduled. Their presence makes holdovers Ryan Zimmerman and Christian Guzman that much more effective. Young pitching has shown upside periodically; if only half of the team's "hot prospects" pan out this will be one heck of a staff eventually.



Weaknesses--situational hitting, inconsistent pitching and porous fielding. Batting averages and hits are great until you can't bring home runners from second or third with less than two outs. Pitching's Jeckyll and Hyde situation is even more frustrating: when the rotation's on a roll, the bullpen gets butchered and when the relievers are ready the starters get scorched--it's almost like the old Sesame Street "Hole in a Bucket" song. And to make things even worse, the pitchers have the worst defense in the bigs behind them. The Nats lead the world with 82 errors -some painful, a few comical, but always out there- making Timmy Lupus look legendary.



And this is the approach Jim Riggleman wants to continue as manager? He was obviously being politically correct to his predecessor and one doesn't expect him to pile on Manny---but give the fans a little hope and lip service. See you at the ballpark,



All Star Game thoughts: TWO HOURS AND THIRTY-ONE MINUTES!!!! Wow, thanks MLB for finishing before midnight... showing how quick moving games can still have strategy and drama. Nice grab by Carl Crawford in the seventh over the fence...making Jonathan Papelbon 2009's version of Don Liddle (Willie Mays counterpart in 1954 WS). This win marks the 12th time in 13 years the AL has topped the senior circuit...and just like the NL had reasons behind its dominance way back when--there are a few reasons why the American League is king.

1--The DH...even in years where they play in National League parks, the designated hitter is an advantage to the American League. Why? Because established free agents are drawn to AL teams because they won't have to play every single day out in the field. A slugger instead of taking days off can DH a game here or there... or a hitter coming off an injury can DH his way back until he's 100% ready to take the field. Better free agents means a better talent pool. Facing a DH on a regular basis gives the AL pitchers a mental edge as well-- with both teams pinch-hitting in NL parks and DHing in AL cities, hurlers from the senior circuit all of a sudden have to get 9 outs instead of 8 when they try to make it through the order.

2--Evening the playing field... for years the NL had much more artificial turf stadiums and thus whenever the AS game was played on that surface, the National League usually won (9-3). Since the mid-90's, most ballparks have reverted to natural grass--taking away the NL's inherent advantage.

3--Big spender in the big apple... while the New York Yankees inflated payroll might not have delivered a title to the Bronx since 2000... the collection of all stars in pinstripes has contributed to a talent infusion advantage-- and while one might not be able to buy a team to win over a 162 game marathon...talent trumps chemistry over a nine-inning sprint.


Just when you thought the Skins were enjoying a quiet summer... the team bolstered its defensive line by taking Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon in the third round of the NFL's supplemental draft. More on this tomorrow in this very space...

Bad News Nats...tennis has a Mickelson...

You can call the Nats many things...but you can't say they're not somewhat versatile. In the club's recent sweeping by Colorado, their bats failed Monday (no runs on 5 hits in a 1-0 loss)... their gloves bedeviled them Tuesday (three errors leading to three unearned runs in a 5-4 defeat)... and Wednesday it was the pitching's turn (8 extra base-hits allowed in a 10-4 thumping). And we get 80 more games of this! Please let the Redskins begin training camp a week early this year.



One recent bright spot amidst the shenanigans has been the trade for centerfielder Nyjer Morgan... the new addition has hit .333 in the last week atop the batting order while providing speed on the basepaths and solid defense in the outfield. To get him the Nats parted with flammable reliever Joel Hanrahan (7.97 ERA and 5 blown saves) and enigmatic outfielder Lastings Milledge (a major adventure ever time the ball was hit to him). The Nationals also pick up reliever Sean Burnett--who's tossed four innings over three appearances out of the pen. Hey, Rudy Stein would be an improvement at this point of the season.

Baseball's All Star Game takes center stage next week. In the "damn, I'm getting old department" I recall a day when it not only was the centerpiece to the summer--there wasn't anything else on the sports calendar. No training camp countdowns, post-draft prognostications, no Joe Lunardi and his weekly offseason bracketology updates. Just bikes, the town pool...and trips to the Cape (where my grandparents had HBO and Cinemax). What I also remember is how dominant the National League was (from 1961 to 1982 the AL won just once)--and how frustrating it was living near an American League city at the time (Boston). That's why in 1983 Fred Lynn's grandslam was a major watershed moment that still resonates.

Other thoughts during the post-NBA/pre-NFL month...

Federer at fifteen--he's already been crowned the greatest by many... and Roger Federer's marathon match against Andy Roddick further cemented his status among the games elite. While Pete Sampras' 14 majors was the mark to beat, Rod Laver lost 5 years and 20 grand slam opportunities due to eligibility rules during the 1960's. It's safe to say Laver would have won a few during that span to increase his total from eleven to the high 'teens.

Roddick remains a runner-up-- there have been comparisons drawn between Federer and Tiger Woods (Roger with a one-major lead right now)...so it's only fair to look around and see who might be Federer's Phil Mickelson-- a people's favorite who seems just a few shots away from upsetting the applecart. Andy Roddick's incredible play during the finals overshadows his solid play just to get to Sunday--some were saying he was playing the best tennis of his career-- even better than when he won the US Open in 2003. Age 26 is a tipping point for many male tennis players (McEnroe, Courier) and one wonders much like with Phil, how many championship runs does Roddick have left?

There's no question, however, that Sunday's Wimbledon final was clearly one of the best ever... ranking up there with last year's marathon between Federer and Nadal--as well as McEnroe-Borg from the early 80's. A moment you feel blessed just to be watching.