Sunday, September 27, 2009

Fooled..... Again


Skins fans, if you came here expecting a ranting manifesto, you will be disappointed.

Of course we suck.

We just lost to the Lions, and removed the albatross from their wretched necks.

But what is left to rant about?

We are, who we thought we were.

Chumps.

Suckers.

Fools.

Like many Skins fans, I ran at this year's football of a season with full Charlie Brown gusto. And once again, the ball has been yanked cruelly away from me at the last moment.

Why, oh why, did I think they would be marginally, hopefully, just-show-me-SOME-improvement better this season?

Because, I'm a fan. Which also stands for “sucker.”

We might just fire Jim Zorn in the next few weeks. It won't matter. Zorn is a SYMPTOM, not a cause.

They say in sports, the best players, and best teams, do more of the “little things” right than others. It is the accumulation of excellence, at the molecular level, in all things required of true winners, that separates.

Clearly, we do most little things wrong as a franchise. Dead wrong. Starting at the top, and soaking down through to the last little player on the roster.

We spend too much money on the wrong people. We keep guys on the roster for reasons bordering on nostalgia. We pamper our stars, while scolding our coach, and wonder how come he can't get them “up” for a key game. (Cincinnati last year, Detroit, this.)

A backup linebacker ripped our fans via twitter, and nothing came of it. Would have been a great week to send him packing. A fullback complains openly about getting more money. The owner obliges. Why? Who knows. Since when have you ever heard of a FULLBACK(!) bitching about his contract in the media, and actually succeeding in getting a raise?

This would be like a bullpen catcher winning in a contract holdout.

Detroit didn't just beat us. They DOMINATED us.

Kevin Smith ran with abandon on a defense that was pre-purchasing “Greatest of All Time” t-shirts this summer. Matt Stafford missed wildly at times, but seemed quite comfortable in the pocket from start to finish.

If not for a series of huge breaks, this game would have been a Lions blowout. Here, take a look ....

a. Campbell had back-to-back INT's that were dropped/missed in the 1st half.
b. Sack on 1st play - facemask penalty gives them a big gain.
c. A long pass to Megatron at the 1 was called back due to OPI. Marginal.
d. Campbell dribbles a ball on a botched snap, completes for 28 to Moss.
e. The Moss TD was pure broken coverage, nothing more.
f. Campbell dropped the ball a second time, and luckily fell on it.
g. Stafford missing wide open Bryant Johnson across the middle.
h. Carlos Rodgers gets away with a blatant arm bar, no call.

Yeah, sure. The P.I. on Horton was 50-50. The picked up flag on the Moss facemask was a robbery.

But add 'em up. We were lucky to even be in the game. Besides, only pathetic teams beg the refs for help again the Lions.

In reality, the players on this team just aren't that good. This much is becoming more evident with each game. Too many of them are also old, and at the end of their useful NFL lifecycle.

Clinton Portis is never going to be a dynamic back again.
The o-line has 3 veterans who have no more than 18 months left on them.
The 2nd round triplets are never going to amount to much.
Campbell is likely a career backup.

You can have the entire d-line, excepting Haynesworth on talent alone, not on his performance per dollar – which will never be re-couped fully by Snyder.

Daniels, Carter, Griffin, Golston, Montgomery, Wynn, Wilson....... whatever.

Take 'em all. They are just guys on a roster. And there's nobody behind them pushing for a job.

At one point, the Lions were a staggering 9-13 on 3rd down.

Try to get your head around that number!

The suspected problems with this team going into the year, are still there. Quarterback, offensive line, durability of star running back.

It's now the unknown liabilities that are cropping up too. Defense, a coach who has seemingly gotten worse, not better, and a corrosive locker-room dynamic.

We suck. And that's who we are. Time to get used to it, or go crazy trying to deny it.

13 comments:

  1. Just like with the Mets in baseball, the 'Skins ownership is the biggest problem with the franchise. Hang in there...

    BTW, I set the over/under at 8PM for your posting of a Redskin rant and took the over.

    PS Love or hate the Seahawks lime green unis?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Czabe, you absolutely nailed it. We do suck. At the end of the pre-season, I was hopeful for a 7-9 season. Now I honestly think we will be lucky to go 3-13.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What your team needs is a Ted Thompson to be GM. A guy who will just gut the roster, trade down and pick up young players to create some depth on the team. Then when the foundation is established you can let wonderboy go on a buying spree as long as he is never allowed to touch draft picks. That is the only way your team will have a legitimate chance to be good over an extended period. Right now you are looking at years of futility and the chance to be 9-7 and hope you can go on a Cardinals like run in the playoffs.

    Rod

    ReplyDelete
  4. I called 4-12 at the beginning of the season. I called a loss ot the Lions on Thursday. I said the Skins will continue to suck until Snyder hires a REAL GM and stops trying to BE GM.

    I stick by these predictions. Wake me when we have a real GM. Until then...I'll spend most of my emotions on the Caps.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The worst part about it is that you'll have one of the top 2-4 picks in the draft, and then you'll have to endure messing that up for the next five years.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Steve - i'm a big fan of yours and - full disclosure - a native NY'er Giants fan living in VA. Just wanted to say you're doing yeoman's work for the franchise you love. I respect that; especially because the douchebag who has destroyed a once-proud franchise writes (some of) your checks. I don't like the Skins, but I want them to be good because I love the rivalries of the NFC East. Snyder is a child playing with trading cards. The fanbase here - IMO - has to make it abundantly clear that ownership has failed them.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I feel for all Skins fans... For I as a Browns fan have lived with disappointment my whole life... So much that I love my boys but expect nothing from them anymore... All I hope is they stay in Cleveland... Goodluck... The utter agony has forced me to rarely care for watching NFL anymore, instead I go Fantasy and "tease" the occational line on a few games... Sad... Gambling is my only outlet now, and I dream about a first rounder who produces, or a front office that pulls it's head from it's ass...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Do you think there is any room on the Ravens bandwagon for us Skins fan. I know this ownership has only been there for 10 or so years but it's been almost 20 years of just constant frustration! I am almost done with the Skins under this ownership. I agree we need to get a solid GM. Vinny reminds me of wormwood!

    ReplyDelete
  9. All of the above is true. My kids and other kids around the neighborhood are switching to Ravens fans. I tried to talk them out of it, but in the end, I had to agree with their logic.

    Snyder only cares about money. When his failures start to cause $ and blackouts, he';; have no choice but to change.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great Blog Czabe-

    Now seriously on to more important things. Are you ever going to update the meat of the month, or is the Double Chub Summer the Meat of the Year?!?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Well Said.....I'm just sick of being utterly disappointed and will never root for the ravens....that said, Id give up 2 first rounders for Ozzie Newsome.

    Three high picked second round pass catchers in the same year....what are they doing playing roulette at Vegas hoping it lands on Red!!!!! O-Line, D-Line then get the franchise QB.

    ReplyDelete