D.C. Sports Bog - By The Washington Post's Dan Steinberg - November 26, 2006

A Few Final Details

"He's dead," Sway said, when he picked up the phone. (First of all, who the heck is Interested Observer? That person has better sources than I do.) Anyhow, here's a sampling of what I know. Maybe the key figures will log on later and fill us in further. Sway and...

By Dan Steinberg | December 1, 2006; 10:56 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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It's Over

Sway the Irishman wins. Estimated time of Rimando water death: 10:04 p.m. EST, Friday Dec. 1st. Estimated blog audience: six or seven people. More details to follow....

By Dan Steinberg | December 1, 2006; 10:11 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Nicky in Major Trouble

In the exchange with Iceberg, described below, Nicky lost his weapon when he sprinted off after the mysterious car appeared. No water. In trouble. Edit: Roche has somehow ruled that Nicky gets his gun back. A Back Liner is going to pick it up....

By Dan Steinberg | December 1, 2006; 6:18 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Water is Spilled!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Oh my gosh," said the Back Line member who just called me. Seriously. So Nicky saw Iceberg about a half-block away in Georgetown, ran for him, gets ready to take him down, but Iceberg somehow quick draws his water gun out of a bag and they soak each other at...

By Dan Steinberg | December 1, 2006; 6:09 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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More Updates

1) Nicky has or will soon publicly announce that he's on M Street in Georgetown. Hopefully the entire universe will now head there and water apocalypse will ensue. 2) A member of Nicky's crew just called me and said Nick has every intention to win the game by soaking his...

By Dan Steinberg | December 1, 2006; 5:27 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Late Afternoon Updates

Sorry for the absence. I haven't been listening to the radio, so I'm not sure what's the latest. Here's what I know. 1) A security guard at RFK Stadium spotted at least one water stalker hanging around the DCU equipment sale this morning. The security guard wanted to know if...

By Dan Steinberg | December 1, 2006; 4:39 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Nats Pawn Off Their Junk on Fans

No offseason for Nats bloggers. Tadcranky did something I should have done; he stopped by the new Nats store at Connectictut and L, where the team is also opening some offices. Anyhow, this is what Tad found: When you walk in, the first thing that you see is a display...

By Dan Steinberg | December 1, 2006; 10:59 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Nats
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More Caps-United Synergy

In case you're tired of reading about D.C. United players, here's something new: D.C. United fans!!!! Yeah, I've been meaning to write more about the Barra Brava invasion, planned for next Friday night's Ducks game. But some Caps fans gave me the perfect excuse on a recent msgboard thread. Here's...

By Dan Steinberg | December 1, 2006; 10:44 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Caps , D.C. United
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What You Need to Know

Curious about Michael Vick? A columnist thinks fantasy football has something to do with all the criticism. Critics might carp, but T.J. Duckett says "Mike gets a bad rap." Gregg Doyel says he's starting to think Vick's an idiot (shock). Bob Molinaro says he's "more loser than winner." This blogger...

By Dan Steinberg | December 1, 2006; 9:29 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: What You Need to Know
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Early Morning Taunting

Sorry, I turned my phone off last night. Something no good beat reporter should ever do, frankly. At the risk of permanently alienating any readers I have who don't happen to be curious about Nick Rimando's future career as a spy, here are some updates. 1) Iceberg apparently left the...

By Dan Steinberg | December 1, 2006; 8:27 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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The First Clue

"Anyone up for a pint of Guinness?" Give or take a few words....

By Dan Steinberg | November 30, 2006; 11:04 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Later Later Night Entry

I just wanted to point out that one of Nick's neighbors, whose identity I'll gladly protect 'til death, is now e-mailing me updates. I swear, Fairfax County Police are gonna have to step in at some point. Hopefully Fro will wind up being arrested again. Also, someone apparently working on...

By Dan Steinberg | November 30, 2006; 10:53 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Later Night Update

This is sort of developing into one of those cliffhanger election-night situations. If you really care about this, you might not want to go to sleep. That means you, tmc. Anyhow, I just received two Water-Wars-related phone calls. I'd rather not disclose the details of the first. And then another...

By Dan Steinberg | November 30, 2006; 10:41 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Stalkers Never Sleep

I guess I usually don't post this late at night, because the theory is that there aren't necessarily thousands of people sitting in front of their computer checking a stupid sports blog at 10:04 p.m., but events have intervened. Just got a call on my phone from a restricted number....

By Dan Steinberg | November 30, 2006; 10:04 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Paging Two Thirds

Brother, you just got singled out for a special, unique humiliation. I identified Two Thirds yesterday as Jeremy Gifford, the owner of T.T. Reynolds in Fairfax, which is true, but he's also a part-owner of Fly Lounge in downtown D.C. Well, it would appear our friend Nicky made a trip...

By Dan Steinberg | November 30, 2006; 4:43 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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My Phone Rings

"Hello," I say. "This is The Goose," someone on the other line says. "Uh, Nick?" I say? "Some also know me as 'Freebird,'" the voice says. So anyhow, my boss demanded I land an interview with Nick, and sure enough, I got it done. I asked Nicky how the day...

By Dan Steinberg | November 30, 2006; 4:27 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Things Take an Ugly Turn

In four parts: 1) My car is starting to smell. 2) Nick, through D.C. United staffers, is now openly taunting his stalkers. Check these photos out. I have no way of verifying that they were actually taken today, as claimed, but I guess I'll take their word on this one....

By Dan Steinberg | November 30, 2006; 3:46 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Turn on DC101

Sources tell me it might be worth your while. Someone might be calling in. Not me. Not sure when. Wait, is it really that easy for DC101 to get free publicity? Well, they're plugging my blog (probably not so safe for work), so I can plug their radio station. Meanwhile,...

By Dan Steinberg | November 30, 2006; 3:17 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Gil Blogs About Referees

I think it's nothing but good that the NBA has evolved to the point where it allows its players to blog about their complaints with officiating on the official NBA Web site. Mark Cuban and Ted Leonsis must be so proud. Pretty soon anonymous Redskins will be blogging on WashingtonRedskins.com...

By Dan Steinberg | November 30, 2006; 1:49 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Wizards
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Now It's Just Me

Sway took off, claiming he has to go to work. The good Col. BD has made the same claim via cell phone, and is saying he's gonna be out of pocket for hours. Two Thirds is also gone, we know not where. Boba Fett and Iceberg have also not been...

By Dan Steinberg | November 30, 2006; 1:21 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Back Outside the Rimando House

So I called my boss this morning to ask exactly how many man-hours he wanted to devote to a radio promotion water-gun hunt featuring a D.C. United goalie as its target. My boss scoffed at such concerns. "Do you want to get beat on this by Tom Friend, is that...

By Dan Steinberg | November 30, 2006; 11:19 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Seeking MEAC, Patriot League and Big East Followers

Ok, this area hoops poll is actually going to happen. Did you see The Post ran my poll on page E2 earlier in the week? And that was without me really taking it seriously, and with VMI ranked high in my poll just because they shoot a lot. Once we...

By Dan Steinberg | November 30, 2006; 10:11 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: College Basketball
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What You Need to Know

People are worried about Gil and his referee obsession: Eddie Jordan says "he's not normal right now," BulletsFever thinks he's pursuing too many outside interests, and Gil puts James Lang in a headlock. Also, Ernie scouts a Spanish star. Georgetown loses to undefeated Oregon, and now they're "free-falling" (?) and...

By Dan Steinberg | November 30, 2006; 9:29 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: What You Need to Know
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Rimando Hunt: Morning Update

Before the birth of the Bog, someone advised me that successful blogs were all about mini-obsessions. Whether or not that's true, I now present to you an update as to the goings-on outside the Rimando household last night. If my source can be believed, a sort of soccer party developed...

By Dan Steinberg | November 30, 2006; 8:01 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Rimando Status Report

This is where we stood as of 6:30 p.m. on Day One of the Nick Rimando hunt. The five stalkers trying to hunt the DCU goalie with water guns have all appeared, although one, Sway the Irishman, has since disappeared, we know not where. Four of the five have stated...

By Dan Steinberg | November 29, 2006; 5:13 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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This Might Take A While

Jacqui headed off with the dogs, trailed by various hangers-on. Roche is on DC101, about to disclose that Nicky is the final, golden goal target, in case anyone didn't know that. Nicky is now eligible for shooting, but he hasn't appeared for a while. My computer battery is set to...

By Dan Steinberg | November 29, 2006; 4:14 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Dancing With the Redskins' Non-Stars, Part II

Since my previous, excessively long post about Redskins dancing proved so popular, here's part II, mostly featuring Sean Taylor, and a tiny bit of Carlos Rogers, who again proves his dancing superiority. Thanks again to savedbytheblog....

By Dan Steinberg | November 29, 2006; 3:46 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Redskins
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Casey Zimny Was in This Water Game?

That's what Jacqui Little sez, anyhow. Jacqui being Nick Rimando's wife and a former Washington Freedom player. Look, I actually wrote a long story about her once, a year after the WUSA folded. Funny how this game keeps intersecting with my life. Anyhow, Jacqui and Nick just went out to...

By Dan Steinberg | November 29, 2006; 3:20 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Hunting Nick Rimando With Water Guns Live Blog

So I received word from my partner guy that Nicky was at Velocity Sports Performance in Alexandria. By the time I got there, he was gone. So were his pursuers. The staff had been wondering about those guys. They had just been sitting there in the parking lot all through...

By Dan Steinberg | November 29, 2006; 2:42 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Nick Rimando Hunt: Esky's Advice

A source close to Rimando reports that three cars have been tailing Nicky around town today. This could be a pretty short game. The source claims that Nicky lost one of the cars after a brief conversation at a traffic light. Still, I'm not feeling too good about Nick's chances....

By Dan Steinberg | November 29, 2006; 12:56 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Gil's New Tattoo

Because I now take my assignments not from any editors but from anonymous e-mailers and deranged Eastern European-obsessed cheeseboot bloggers, I went to the Wiz game last night not to stare at Nick Rimando, but to obey my Wizznutzz masters, who sent me this cryptic mission: steinz!! we know we...

By Dan Steinberg | November 29, 2006; 11:51 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Wizards
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Nick Rimando's Escape Plan

So at 8:30 this morning I got a call from a well-placed source (who lives in Nick Rimando's basement) with an update on the Nick Rimando Most Dangerous (Water Gun) Game. "Two people are already outside our house," the source said. "One guy is in our front lawn. He waved...

By Dan Steinberg | November 29, 2006; 10:23 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: D.C. United , Wizards
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What You Need to Know

Huge win for the Terps, who, despite the absence of Ekene Ibekwe, snapped the longest non-conference home winning streak in the country, thanks largely to "whirling wonder" Greivis Vasquez, who Gregg Doyel wants to see in the starting lineup. (Great Vasquez details in there, plus typical Doyel insults). The Hoyas...

By Dan Steinberg | November 29, 2006; 9:41 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: What You Need to Know
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Rich Chvotkin Helps Fans Get Drunk

But first, I need to revisit my area hoops poll from yesterday. First of all, sorry for putting Navy one spot ahead of American. That was probably silly. I rescind that ranking. Second of all, I only got two volunteers to be voters in my local poll! Two! And one...

By Dan Steinberg | November 28, 2006; 4:02 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: College Basketball
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Updates on Previous Bog Items

1) Etan Thomas. Weeks ago, Etan wrote an essay on the black athlete in America for Bog purposes. At the time, I recommended he begin writing for Slam instead. Today is the first installment of what will be a regular column at SLAMOnline. Etan writes today about people who make...

By Dan Steinberg | November 28, 2006; 2:01 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: College Basketball , Media , Redskins , Wizards
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Nick Rimando Is a Target!!! (Not for the last time)

Ok, this is fun. More fun than the search for Bobby Boswell foil Robin Rexroat, which seems to have sputtered out after my voice message left at Rexroat Realty was never returned. So DCU beat writer Steve Goff gets an e-mail this morning from someone looking for personal information on...

By Dan Steinberg | November 28, 2006; 12:57 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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The Anti-Carlos Rogers

He's pictured below, and he's fantastic. But first, some more Redskins items: 1) Did you hear the Tom Friend interview on the John Thompson show yesterday? In which he proudly said that he's a Redskins fan? And that his ring tone is "Hail to the Redskins?" Wait, ESPN lets Redskins...

By Dan Steinberg | November 28, 2006; 12:39 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Redskins
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Columnist Calls Out Wilbon

I know this Michael Irvin stuff is very old news, but did you actually listen to it? Remarkable. Since some of my co-workers haven't even seen it, and they work in sports, it's worth a quote. Quoth The Big Lead, in a fairly good transcription: At about the 3:42 mark...

By Dan Steinberg | November 28, 2006; 11:39 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Media , NFL
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Playoffs? Playoffs? Tuesday Edition

Well, so I guess we are allowed to go ahead and write about the playoffs for those plucky 4-7 Skins. But forget what the players say; this is what the fans are saying. After last night's Georgetown-Ball State game I met WashPost staffers Des Bieler and Mitch Rubin at a...

By Dan Steinberg | November 28, 2006; 9:42 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Redskins
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What You Need to Know, in Fewer Than 300 Words

Because you're apparently incapable of reading the WashTimes on your own.... The Skins are finally going young, to an extent, players say "the mood has changed," Gibbs delusionally denies the existence of Anonymous Redskins Defender and predicts the Falcons will be "in a nasty frame of mind" (which wouldn't be...

By Dan Steinberg | November 28, 2006; 9:29 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: What You Need to Know
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Scientific Correlation Between DJ Unk and Redskins Success

There are certain things you miss by watching Redskins games at home instead of inside the purple and green spacecraft. Cover bands performing All-American Rejects tunes to choreographed cheerleader dances outside the gates, for example. (Unless that was really the Rejects....didn't get a great look at 'em.) Or the sight...

By Dan Steinberg | November 27, 2006; 3:51 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Redskins
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Fledgling Caps Fan Needs Advice

Now granted, this is probably the time that a fledgling Caps fan should be exploring other, more promising and forward-thinking hobbies than following the Caps. (Examples: watching "Kidnapped," practicing penmanship, reading newspapers.) But still, I promised this fledgling Caps fan, who claims never to have been to a hockey game...

By Dan Steinberg | November 27, 2006; 1:44 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (26)
Categories: Caps
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Area Hoops Top 11

And feel free to offer your thoughts. And I know I'll hear from people who don't believe some of these schools are in this area. Talk to circulation. Actually, I wouldn't mind making this an actual poll, if I could somehow find objective voters to help me vote. I'll bug...

By Dan Steinberg | November 27, 2006; 12:22 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: College Basketball
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This Week's Vegas Oddsmakers' Top 25

Comments: 1) Texas could go 0-12 and Vegas would still keep them in the top 10. 2) Ditto with Oregon. 3) In fact, for whatever reason, Vegas seems particularly attached to the Pac-10, with Cal, Oregon and Arizona State all faring much better with the oddsmakers than with the human...

By Dan Steinberg | November 27, 2006; 10:43 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: College Football
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ESPN the Magazine Beats the Panthers

So, this ESPN the Mag story? Big doings. Anonymous Redskins Defender goes on and on and on about how terrible everything is. Players rally around a dislike of, what, anonymous sourcing in bi-weekly, mostly fluffy sports magazines? Then Chris Cooley breaks a bunch of tackles on a normal-looking reception. Then...

By Dan Steinberg | November 27, 2006; 10:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (18)
Categories: Redskins
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Noted

Trying something different. Feedback encouraged. [Edit: I have absolutely no idea why I was instructing people to send e-mails to an ESPN address. That was a very, very weird mistake, possibly due to excessive thoughts about Tom Friend. Send your e-mails to the regular place.]...

By Dan Steinberg | November 27, 2006; 9:24 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (13)
Categories: What You Need to Know
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Playoffs?

So driving back from FedEx last night I asked NFL wordsmith Les Carpenter and my boss whether anyone would be writing about the 'Skins' playoff chances in today's paper. They said that was the sort of thing you talked about during the car ride home, but not in the paper,...

By Dan Steinberg | November 27, 2006; 9:12 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Redskins
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Network News

D.C. Sports Bog: November 26, 2006 - December 2, 2006