Hall Passes... Skinsationalism... and other forgettable musings.

Are you ready for some football? This week the NFL goes from 15 miles an hour to 35 with the first batch of preseason games (don't call them exhibitions)... and with the limited offseason workouts (just one week of training camp and no OTAs) there will be a different sense of urgency this August. Already the quarterback competition has taken its first turn- with a tweaked groin sidelining John Beck for the time being. More important to me was the continuing absence of Ryan Kerrigan-- anytime you have a first round pick with minimal workouts trying to learn a new position, it's not ideal. Imagine this year's rookies as all having protracted holdouts... and the delay has retarded the growth of the class of 2011 league-wide. Good for the Skins that Kerrigan practiced today.

Traffic torment-- this Friday the Skins play Pittsburgh at Fed Ex Field... 7:30 kickoff. This only happens once a year-- the perfect storm of late afternoon traffic, Ocean City travelers, Redskins pre-gamers... be prepared for a hot mess of a stretch of I-495. If you're planning on going to Landover, leave now.

Hall Spotlight-- Deion Sanders spoke. And spoke. And put a bandana on his bust. I'm all for his ability as a shut-down corner who didn't tackle... a great talent who was a finishing piece instead of a building block... but the self-congratulating got a little overbearing. I'm glad to see Chris Hanburger get honored-- and Marshall Faulk gave a resounding talk while Shannon Sharpe showed survivor's guilt in wake of his brother Sterling having to retire early while he won titles and reached Canton. And I'm still bummed Ray Guy's not in the HOF. But a true giant in the league's history finally gets his due-- Ed Sabol created a propaganda wing that turned games into spectacle... happenings into epic dreams.

College Football Corner-- Maryland and the rest of the ACC begin practice... with North Carolina firing coach Butch Davis right before the start of practice. The former Miami mentor tried to bring the Hurricanes' culture to Chapel Hill; unfortunately he brought more U baggage than wins. Good luck, UNC... as your sleeping giant tenure continues to slumber. Virginia Tech, your road to the BCS just got a little easier. Virginia-- never mind.

Baseball beat-- the Nationals traded Jason Marquis to Arizona and Jerry Hairston for prospects... as the future is still not quite now. Best August news? The road to rehabilitation for Stephen Strasburg... started in Class A Harrisburg yesterday.

Sayonara, Cha-Cha... recently Annette Charles... the woman who portrayed "Cha Cha Degregorio" passed away at the age of 63. Just two months after Jeff Conaway (Kenickie) left us. All I'm saying is if I'm Didi Conn (Frenchie)... I'm not going sky-diving anytime soon.

Beginning with a Bang!

Now that's how you win the offseason in a manner that helps you win during the regular season. In the span of 24 hours the Redskins removed two storylines that refused to die in 2010... and the Shanahan era can begin in earnest.

Donovan McNabb's days were numbered the moment he was lifted against Detroit last October... can you believe the Skins were 4-3 (already equalling 2009's win total), 2-0 in the division and had beaten the two teams that would advance to the NFC Championship Game? After that Halloween afternoon- McNabb's conditioning and intelligence were called into question... but his future was secure as a former Redskin. After giving up a 2nd and 3rd/4th rounder (conditional) to get #5, the team receives a #6 and conditional 6th. Talk about depreciation. For whatever reason, McNabb didn't fit in with Kyle Shanahan's offense-- and it's a good thing he's off to an offense more attuned to his skill set and he's not lurking in the shadows around Ashburn.

The McNabb drama was the TV show that you like because you know the lead actor... but somehow never clicks with an audience and gets shuffled around the schedule and cancelled after one season (think REUNION). Meanwhile, the Albert Haynesworth comedy was the program some were wary about from the start... was funny for the wrong reasons and a disaster on many levels... yet somehow avoided cancellation for much longer than it should have (think JOEY). From the "fitness test" to "lying down against the Eagles"... Haynesworth gave the DC area more material than anyone since Dan Quayle. While McNabb represented a missed opportunity for the future, Haynesworth was an exhibit from the past-- and how the team conducted business. The fact he stayed and somewhat played an entire season under a new regime is amazing in and of itself.

Now the offense can take shape with John Beck (still figuring out that one) at the controls... with Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth added to a crowded receiving corps (is there a 7-wideout set that I don't know about?). The defense prepares in earnest as a 3-4 unit with Stephen Bowen and Barry Cofield the newly acquired building blocks (from division rivals, no less) and Josh Wilson an impact corner (4 INT returns for TDs in 3 years).

Bring on the preseason.

Unlocked! The NFL takes a page from Friday Night Lights and gets it done on the last play...

What was amazing about the four month water torture that was the NFL Lockout was how close we came to the precipice of disaster only to have resolution that benefits everyone. Sort of surreal, right? I'm used to half if not entire seasons being blown out, postseasons eliminated and whatever happens during the future Major League Soccer strike.

Owners get more money. Isn't that what they were looking for in the first place? They also get another safeguard against being stupid: the rookie salary cap will eliminate the type of albatross we saw in the person of Jamarcus Russell. The get their "soda" in full: because owners charge regular season prices for preseason games, preseason parking and preseason concessions yet only have to pay players their preseason rate, their margin is ridiculous for the two August home games (like soda at a fast food restaurant: you don't want to know how much profit's in a medium sprite). They also get a team option on a fifth year for first round picks-- a semi-franchise tag if you will.

Players get a better quality of life. Lightening the offseason workload will allow the body to heal better and not be subjected to the constant pounding that makes players more susceptible to wear and tear injuries. Veterans will get the mad money that was thrown at rookies (thanks to the salary floor). And health care benefits will be a little more appropriate for players this time out.

Fans get a full season of football-- although let's take a moment of silence to mourn the loss of this year's Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Fans can plan training camp trips, fantasy leagues, and weekend journeys to see their team play. And ten years of labor peace. The NFL's streak of not missing any regular season play since 1987 continues.

Who loses? New coaches, coordinators and quarterbacks. Six new head coaches haven't had the benefit of a fully productive offseason and will find it challenging to put their stamp on the team. Offensive coordinators have to fit three months of studying into three weeks of cramming. And unlike years where we saw a Marc Sanchez, Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco guide a team to the postseason-- there will probably be a steeper learning curve.

Whither the Redskins? Can a team with a less than awesome track record of procuring talent make the right moves? Will a non-offseason of working out the kinks of the 3-4 haunt a unit still not built for the new defense? How long will Donovan McNabb remain a Redskin-- and will John Beck justify the Shanahan's optimism? And what about Albert Haynesworth's progressive infection of a locker room and organization trying to move on? Thank goodness we're no longer worrying about transition tags, rookie caps and percentages of the gross.

Summer Bloggin- had me a blast...

Mid-July means you wake up from a month-plus of napping by the pool only to realize that the majority of the year is in the lower half of the hourglass (cue MacDonald Carey)... summer reading included "Rawhide Down" (about the Reagan shooting) and "Black Swan Green" (once you get past the British colloquialisms, David Mitchell's writing is dynamic).


Football frenzy-- so I guess after four months of the non-story story... there actually is NFL Labor progress. I'm looking forward to seeing which teams are able to make better snap free agent judgements once the lockout ends. Back in the 70's, the NFL held its draft in late January and the front offices that had their act together (Dallas, Pittsburgh, Oakland) were able to take and maintain their personnel lead over the rest of the sad sacks that couldn't get out of their own way (New Orleans, New York Jets, Kansas City). Let's see if the Redskins make smart or silly moves this July-- Bruce Allen will earn his paycheck this month.


College Corner-- Kudos to Maryland for getting games in Baltimore again-- especially with 7 home games a year now the Terps can play one of their games in their home state's largest city. Sad thing-- it's probably easier for me to get from my home in Arlington, Virginia to M & T than Fed Ex Field... can't wait for Terps-Notre Dame this November. Meanwhile, the ACC has long tried to become "bigtime" in football... as the purging of the Big East last decade brought the conference to 12 schools and an anti-climactic championship game. Another move to bridge the gap between the ACC and the SEC: PROBATION. Because you know, if you aren't cheatin' you aren't tryin'. I'm not saying Georgia Tech's the SMU of 2011... but the Yellowjacket sanctions mean a vacated championship in a league that's always held itself above others when it comes to running clean programs (Clemson football in the 80's and North Carolina State basketball in the 70's notwithstanding).


British Open-- Youth and age were served in round one with 20-year old amateur Tom Lewis and 40-year old Thomas Bjorn capturing the Thursday headlines... followed by Lucas Glover and Darren Clarke surging on Friday. So much for the Rory McIlroy era of extreme dominance(the curly-haired one is 6 shots off the pace entering the weekend). I've always likened the British Open to tennis' French Open-- odd conditions that often steal the headlines from the actual competition... and a slew of clay court/links specialists like Gustavo Kuerten and Paul Lawrie outshine the mainstream elite.


Swing and a miss-- by the prosecution. For twenty-plus years, Roger Clemens intimidated hitters with a blow-by fastball and often caught them swinging while looking for the heater. Yesterday federal prosecutors pulled a hamstring in the first inning while swinging for the fences-- as the ignorance of an evidence ban set in motion the mistrial of Clemens' perjury case. Really? You messed this thing up on day two? Hopefully they'll send those attorneys down to AA Traffic Court in Anchorage.


All Star Blah Blah-- The buzz coming out of Phoenix was as lukewarm as you could get. Lower TV ratings than last year. And the impression that more than a few players would have liked to have been anywhere else. How do you fix this potential July juggernaut? Make the starting position players go at least six innings. Pitchers toss two innings each through the sixth and no dugout dumping of reserves onto the field. Remember how Oscar nominees say just being nominated is an honor? Well just being an All Star reserve should be honor enough. Unless you're Timmy Lupus, as a reserve you don't have an unalienable right to appear in the game. Sorry-- that's what you get when the game is for home field advantage in the World Series. And as far as players skipping the event-- if you have an all star incentive clause and don't show up to the game, you shouldn't pick up the check. Ninety percent of success is just showing up-- and if you can't make it to the All Star Game-- you shouldn't get your All Star Bonus.


Turning off Friday Night Lights-- I don't watch much television... and haven't tuned into NBC's red-haired stepchild since the season two murder plot (coupled with the musician turning into a game-winning wide receiver after 3 weeks of practices) led me astray. But one of TV's best network programs in the last ten years leaves without the mass over celebration that marked Lost's overrated final season. Friday Night Lights had a certain groove and feel that felt genuine-- more so than the three-camera sitcoms and flashy dramas where they actually clean the sets in between takes. From lunatic booster Buddy Garrity (unintentionally funny fake TV ads for his dealership make one scream) to consistent foul-up Tim Riggins (ironically the onetime onscreen boyfriend of Minka Kelly's character racked up the most impressive run of hookups since, um, Derek Jeter), not everybody comes out a winner-- just like the actual games. Well done TV is hard to find-- and the network didn't make it easy for Friday Night Lights to find the audience it deserved. Now there were blemishes... from all the last-second game-winning touchdowns to the coaching carousel (West Dillon had 5 coaching regimes over 4 fictional seasons)... but for the most part like a quality football program this one delivered and leaves the airwaves a winner-- making room for more repeats of "The Marriage Ref". Thanks, NBC...I'm buying another David Mitchell book today.

Riggleman resigns-- drafting and dominance-- plus the Wiener role...

Nothing quite says summer like the pool. My new apartment complex has a pool-- perfect for reading, relaxing and doing the crossword while avoiding sunburn. Unfortunately there's the occasional Candlestick Parkesque wind... not ideal for reading a newspaper or eating chips. I still have yet to lock down my summer reading... previous winners include The Cloud Atlas, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, and Founding Brothers.


But nothing interrupts a lazy day other than a surprise resignation-- Jim Riggleman leaving the Nationals after a 38-37 start is somewhat of a surprise; evidently he wasn't pleased with his 2012 option status and threatened to walk if it wasn't resolved. This comes as the team wraps up an 8-1 homestand and is over .500 this deep in the season for the first time in six years. Zimmerman's back... and hitting well. Michael Morse continues to camouflage Jayson Werth's underachieving with a breakout season of his own. And the pitching isn't porous (although they still have their moments). Right now, it's a great time to be a Nationals fan... as for the first time since their arrival-- the upside is here! But then Riggleman bluffs and is called on it and walks off into the sunset. Did he at least wave the victory sign before he boarded the helicopter?



The NBA Draft is front and center this week; most media outlets try to pattern their coverage around the blueprint of the golden goose that is the NFL. Unfortunately, while most pro football fans dabble in following the college game- there's a bigger disconnect with the NBA and NCAA. Plus the European factor-- imagine if the Redskins picked a defensive lineman from Turkey (truth be told you could make the case for the Skins signing a defensive lineman who was a turkey), followed by a cornerback from Italy. And with just two picks for each team and 60 overall selections, the draft is over before you know it. Sixty players doesn't even get you 30% of the way through the NFL draft.



Will the Wizards pick the right player? This is the team that picked Kwame Brown. So things have a way of happening. In a draft as shallow as my swimming pool (3 feet-- NO DIVING) they might get some pieces who can help them win in the future. With the 6th, 18th and 34th selections the perfect world would yield an impact player at 6... a contributor at 18 and a 12th man at 34. Many of the mock drafts (and there are a multitude of them) have the Wizards grabbing a pair of foreign players (Czech forward Jan Vesely and Lithuanian big man Donatas Motiejunas) with your guess in the second round (as things often are). One of the websites has Jordan Williams lasting until the 42nd pick... not ideal for skipping your last year at Maryland, especially with a lockout looming.


If you watched any of the U.S. Open over the weekend, you'd think that Rory McIlroy is going to win the next 25 majors in a row. The Irishman did lap the field and led wire to wire after making Congressional his little playground, but let's allow him to win a few before we jump all over ourselves. Ernie Els won three majors in his 20's... and I thought he'd be good for three more-- but no dice. David Duval hasn't added to his total. McIlroy has been anointed the future, and as the window closes on the generation of Phil/Ernie/Vijay (I would have bet the world Els or Singh would have been the one to get to 4 majors instead of Lefty)... the new breed of golfer that grew up during Tiger's reign is here. And winning.

Whither Tiger Woods? As he recovers from leg injuries, golf's number one lightning rod stands four majors shy of Jack Nicklaus' record. Four years ago as he was winning back to back PGA's after taking consecutive British Opens the year before (he also has repeated at Masters champ and won consecutive PGA's earlier in his career)... I thought he had a true grandslam in the future with a few other wins-giving Tiger eventually 20-21 majors. Now he's got a 10-15 year window to get four... and while I still think he can get there... I thought Tom Watson had 3 majors in him after age 33. Woods' career somewhat parallels Jacks in that each had an early dominant streak (Jack won 7 from 1962-67, Tiger won 8 from 1997-2002) followed by a mid-career peak (Jack took 7 from 1970-75, Tiger took 6 from 2005-08). Nicklaus added four more in his 1978-86 twilight... and you'd think Tiger could do the same if not better- once his knee works.

Last but not least, who plays Anthony Wiener in the TV movie? Keep in mind Alyssa Milano and Drew Barrymore both took shots at Amy Fisher on competing networks. I threw the question out on Facebook and some responded with Adrian Brody-- he seems a little too high-class for a quickie TV movie. Fisher Stevens is an inspired choice... as is Dustin Diamond (he would be on the CW version). Johnathon Schaetch, meanwhile, is still building off his role as Jimmy Mattingly in "That Thing You Do!"... and although I can't recall anything of note he's done since, would be a good fit in the creepy Congressman role. Now to cast his wife, interns and the porn star...

Fading through the door into summer...

Moving month has been madness for me. I recently changed addresses for the first time in 7 and a half years... and throughout each step I remembered why I hadn't moved in 7 and a half years. There wasn't just stuff I hadn't used in 7 years-- there was stuff I hadn't looked at in 7 years. Lesson learned: I've already started hoarding for my next move.

Usually June and July are my recovery months after the madness that begins with training camp and doesn't let up until the last playoff game is done on the hardwood and ice. As I gear up for buying Phil Steele's College Football Guide, plenty of thoughts...:

Heat dissipate-- as the NBA season is put to bed, the Miami Heat wonder what they need to do to actually hold a championship celebration (as opposed to last years anticipation). Perhaps they could trade Chris Bosh for a low post monolith... or get a fourth quarter heart transplant for Lebron James. Kudos to Dallas coach Rick Carlisle for making every right move. Watch the league follow the Mavericks trend by having their coach boast ridiculous hairstyles.

Another parade Bruin-- After 39 years of near misses... with uber-talented teams outworked (by the '74 Flyers) or under-manned units coming up short (Oilers in '88 and '90)... or teams that couldn't beat the damned Canadiens (77-78-79...you get the picture). This title gives the Boston area 7 pro championships in 9 years (Pats' first SB technically the 01-02 season)... a grandslam of sorts. While cities have managed double-plays (Baltimore Orioles and Colts, 1970 or Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers 1979)... the only other metropolitan area I can recall having all four win titles within a short window would be New York: Jets 68, Mets 69, Knicks 70 & 73... and Islanders 80. Or you could backdate the Knicks 73 and use the Yankees 77 and Giants 86. Either way it's 12 or 13 years. Truly a great time to be in and around the hub. I only wish I invested in DuckBoats back in '01.

Horse sense-- the Triple Crown came and went in the blink of an eye... with three different winners and a buzzless Belmont. Once again I dream of a day where they gap the races better to accommodate how three year olds are run today. It would be as if they made starting pitchers throw every third day because baseball was bound by tradition-- now even four and five days off accommodate modern major league hurlers. Couldn't the Preakness be held Memorial Day weekend? Why not move the Belmont back to Fourth of July weekend?

Of Lockouts and Labor... it's the perfect non-story story. No progress is made? Is the season in danger? Will they be able to play a full slate? Word is players and owners met earlier this week-- and they're about 80-85% done on a deal. Thanks for sucking the life out of the offseason. What remains to be seen is how the lack of OTA's will affect the first year coaches and coordinators as well as first round quarterbacks expected to make contributions. I'm not saying Jamarcus Russell was going to be Joe Montana, but his holdout as a rookie severely stunted his growth as a player. Imagine a whole team like that.

How I am Still on the Hook to Meet the Mother... or MacGuffin.

I don't watch a lot of TV these days. Let me qualify that-- I don't watch a lot of scripted programs nowadays. NFL and NCAA regular and postseason make me rearrange gall-bladder operations... and the NBA and MLB playoffs catch my eye until the teams I love and teams I hate are bounced. But as far as network TV, first-run programming? I'm the Nielsen nightmare.

But let the record show that when I find a program-- I'm with it usually to the bitter end. And in TV, most ends are bitter. Remember how Cheers limped through its last season to an underwhelming final episode? Couldn't leave the party early. Recall how Dallas lost its way after the killing and then dreamily resurrecting Bobby? Locked in. Or how 90210-- never Shakespeare or high drama-- was completely unwatchable for the last season and a half? Hanging out at the Peach Pit. Or how much Happy Days and The Love Boat sucked in their final seasons? On the hook for every last recycled plot-- from Ted McGinley to... Ted McGinley.

Two of my shows went off the air last spring-- one to plenty of fanfare (LOST) and the other to "we've already done everything possible in sixteen different combinations-- plus every body's been killed" (24). That left me with The Office-- which will be on Threat Level Midnight with Steve Carrell (ultimate sit-com glue guy) departing-- and How I Met Your Mother.

HIMYM's premise is Bob Saget's voiceover (no stories about Uncle Jesse playing bongos for the Beach Boys or Dave Coulier hooking up with Alanis Morrissette, unfortunately) leading his kids through the journey about how he met their mother. And it's been a long and winding road. Through meeting the girl of his dreams (I'm still on the hook for Cobie Smulders) to getting engaged (Sarah Chalke never made sense) to the latest season involving a scary captain, an imploding building, and guest spots from Ben Vereen and John Lithgow as baby-daddys turned responsible men.

The season finale leads us to think that we'll meet the mother... but it never happens. Instead we're treated to Barney (played by perfection by Neil Patrick Harris) continuing his maturing from rake to nice, sweet, sensitive guy. Remember when Steve Sanders would go "sensitive" in "very special" 90210 episodes-- from "LETS CHUG!" to "Brandon, why do all the girls like you instead of me?"-- that's the amazing growth we're seeing.

This is a big moment because although the character Ted Mosby (played by Josh Radnor) is technically the lead, Barney has long been the meal ticket for laughs-- both cheap and inspired. Over the series run, HIMYM has been a TV version of a well-drilled basketball team. Ted is the point man... running the offense through each week's premise. Marshall is the big man in the low post who provides a moral center more often than not. Barney is the small forward wildcard who can generate laughs from the inside or outside. And the girls (Robin and Lilly) screen and rebound while the guys run around like fools. I have a feeling next season will be all about Barney and his road of redemption from rake to groom. Which means more laughs, and no mother. Like that damn sled at the end of Citizen Kane, the "mother" is merely a MacGuffin-- look it up. Can't wait for September.

Turgeon a Terp as the College Coaching Carousel Continues...

So much for easing into his tenure at College Park. Maryland Athletic Director Kevin Anderson makes the second of two program defining changes in his first year on the job. Less than six months after ending Ralph Friedgen's ten year tenure and replacing him with fresh-from-the-Fiesta Bowl Randy Edsall... Anderson replaces the retiring Gary Williams with a coach who has four straight NCAA Tournament appearances under his belt.

Mark Turgeon comes to College Park having built a program at Wichita State (Sweet Sixteen in 2006--they lost to George Mason in the regional semis)... and having continued Billy Gillespie's success at Texas A & M (averaging 24 wins in four seasons). His hoops roots are solid-- having played for Larry Brown at Kansas in the mid-80's and then having served as an assistant under Brown and Roy Williams. Turgeon's won wherever he's been... from Jacksonville State to Wichita State (2006 Sweet 16 run that ended with a loss to George Mason) to Texas A & M.

His tenure in College Station saw four NCAA appearances-- one #5 seed, one 7th seed and two #9's... going 3-4 with three trips to the round of 32 (sorry, NCAA-I can't call it "Third Round" just yet). A&M gained the reputation as a guard oriented team under his tenure... playing man to man with occasional zone defensively. Turgeon's recruited locally in the Lone Star State (8 of 14 players on last years roster) and will likely maintain his contacts in Houston and Dallas. He's not unfamiliar with ACC country-- having landed players from Baltimore, South Carolina and Miami in recent years.

The more things change-- the more they stay the same. In 1989 Maryland hired a 44-year old coach who'd been at three stops previously with an average record of 19-12 over 11 seasons. This year the Terps tap a 46-year old who'd had three previous head coaching jobs-- averaging a 19-12 mark over 13 seasons. This in no way guarantees Turgeon will be a slam-dunk... but all signs point to this being a good move for both the new coach and his new employer.


Foggy Bottom Forecast-- George Washington brings Mike Lonergan home to the district... the onetime Catholic University coach (led the Cardinals to the 2001 Division III National Championship) comes to the Smith Center fresh off six successful seasons at Vermont (including 2010 NCAA and 2011 NIT appearances). Lonergan looks to bring an up-tempo feel to the Colonials and can definitely build on the progress begun by coach Karl Hobbs over the last decade. Different types of coaches have won at GW, from Mike Jarvis to Tom Penders to Hobbs... and there's no reason to think Lonergan won't do the same.


VACANCY-- Navy has an opening... after seven seasons at the helm, Billy Lange leaves Annapolis for Jay Wright's staff at Villanova. The Midshipmen were 93-113 under his guidance-- with a peak of 19-11 two years ago and a second place Patriot League finish in 2008. He'd previously been an assistant with the Wildcats. Navy's last postseason appearance came in 1998 under Don DeVoe... and the troubles of recruiting to a service academy (one with height restrictions to boot) is always a challenge in basketball.

Gary Gone-- in other words... Williams waves goodbye.

Gary Williams retiring should not be a surprise.

He's 66 years old in a sport dominated by much younger men willing to recruit 24-7/365. While his age is merely a number, his attitude is regarded as antiquated: Williams has remained above the fray in an era when even the seemingly righteous run into ethical issues bringing players to campus... and the questionably dirty are downright filthy. And he's accomplished everything a coach could: guiding his Alma mater to a first ever Final Four... and then a National Title a year later... followed by an ACC Tournament title (as a #6 seed with an overtime win over Duke in the finals) two seasons after that. Plus, he outlasted his biggest critic as former Athletic Director Debbie Yow is reduced to firing shots from Raleigh.

Why now, though? Why make this move in May? Finding a successor of his caliber will be nearly impossible. The next Maryland coach will also have to fill the huge hole of Jordan Williams-- now officially departing for the NBA. Regardless... this is opportunity #2 for less than a year at the helm Athletic Director Kevin Anderson to make a statement hire. Or is it in the best interests longterm of this program to hire a stop-gap for a year... and then open the job again in 2012 when the candidate field will be better and more apt to make a move?

Gary Williams rebuilt a proud program from the dark, dismal days of the Bob Wade era (what's worse than 0-14 in the ACC? How about double-secret probation!) and guided the Terps to places they only dreamed about. The gold standard of Maryland basketball remains the era that began during Joe Smith's freshman year (and the takedown of Georgetown)... the first of eleven straight NCAA seasons (wrapping up with the improbable ACC title run). In the seven years since-- just a pair of over-500 in the ACC seasons...one trip to conference semifinals and no sweet sixteens at a program that was beginning to expect such situations as annual birthrights. So despite the fact that nobody will ever coach this team and represent this program as well as Gary, maybe it is time for him to walk off into the sunset.

Williams retirement also completes a near-clean break from the ACC's glory days: eight schools with no play-in games or rounds come conference tournament time... a coaching fraternity that included Dean Smith and Jim Valvano... as well as Bobby Cremins and Terry Holland. The league has morphed from hoops heaven with a football chaser into a football wannabe plus an unwieldy basketball bonanza... and Coach K is now the only link to the 80's... or even the 90's. And the best basketball league has now been turned into a Blue Devil playpen (10 of last 13 tournament titles). Gary's been the second-longest tenured coach for some time-- now that honor (do we dare call it the Prince Charles Award?) goes to Florida State's Leonard Hamilton.

The Drafting Dozen- and will the sun set in the sunshine state?

Another step from the NFL wilderness was taken by the Burgundy and Gold as the brain trust of Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan not only kept their original allotment of draft picks... but added picks through trades and had a total of 12 selections-- their most since 1985. And that was with a 12-round draft and five picks after the seventh round. This year's crop features 8 of the first 178 players picked. Can Ryan Kerrigan adjust from being a 4-3 defensive end into a 3-4 outside linebacker? Will Jarvis Jenkins solve the nosetackle issues? How quickly will Leonard Hankerson affect the passing game (let's be honest, the Skins haven't had great luck drafting wide receivers recently)? And will the band start to learn the lyics to "Hail to the Huskers"? With twelve picks, you'd think at least four or five will work their way into the two-deep--with most of the rest getting a "redshirt year" on the practice squad. It's a shame the lockout is preventing this year's rookie class from assimilating itself to the Redskin system.

Capsized-- Two games at home against Tampa Bay-- and two tough losses that saw Dwayne Roloson turn into a brick wall (61 saves on 65 shots)... a power play vanish (0 for 11)... and a bad line change turn into a game losing goal in overtime. Down 0-2 with two games on back to back nights in the Tampa Bay the Bruce Boudreau Era is meeting its moment of truth. Another early exit could doom a regime that has revitalized the Red... as well as hockey in the district.