The Redskins prepare for another fun-filled weekend of offseason excitement. Sadly the Skins are one of the teams affected the most by the lockout: with no free agency, how can one win the offseason? The tenth pick of the draft is no guarantee-- but looking at this past season's All-Pro team one sees 17 first rounders (including 4 of 5 offensive linemen and 7 of 8 front seven defenders), 1 second rounder and 2 thirds. The problem for the Skins hasn't necessarily been their drafting, but the lack of picks year in and year out. That's the case again this year (thank you Donovan McNabb). One hopes that the team continues to build the offensive line as well as its defensive front seven (just one draftee last year despite the switch to the 3-4).
Capsule-- Tampa Bay's seventh game victory over Pittsburgh means the Lightning come to Verizon Friday for game one of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Caps won the regular season series 4-2 with a 19-7 goal advantage... but dominated the first two games by a 12-3 count in November-- a hockey lifetime ago. Michal Neuvirth started the November 11 game-- and had to leave the March 7th game with an injury after one period. Braden Holtby came off the bench to post 29 saves in a 2-1 shootout victory.
Coaching Carousel-- in the past week the area lost a pair of long-term hoops mentors. Jim Larranaga left George Mason after 14 years of turning a CAA afterthought into a poster child for Mid-Major schools (descendant of Gonzaga... predecessor of Butler). While the Miami job is far from being a first-tier ACC position, it's still in the Atlantic Coast Conference and a former UVa assistant who always wondered if he could build a program on the biggest stage couldn't resist the opportunity. Best Case?-- he takes the Hurricanes to that next level they weren't able to find under Frank Haith and the U turns into a contender. Worst Case?-- he retires in five years after middling results, padding his retirement fund and enjoying a lot more sun and golf after 14 years in Fairfax.
George Washington is also looking for a new head coach-- as Karl Hobbs is fired after ten seasons. After guiding the Colonials to a little mid-decade run that included a top ten ranking in 2006 and an improbable Atlantic Ten tournament title in 2007, GW averaged 13 wins over the last four campaigns. And although there was improvement this winter (10-6 in the A-10), a first round flameout at the Smith Center in the Conference Tournament was an unfortunate end to a tenure that had quite a bit of promise. So much promise that Hobbs was on the short list for more than a few higher level jobs in 2006 and 07. He stayed and instead of continued success finds himself on the way out. The precarious shelf life of any coach is one of the reasons why the Larranagas move for greener pastures when they get the chance.
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