D.C. Sports Bog - By The Washington Post's Dan Steinberg - September 6, 2009

Nats Attempt to Avoid 210-Loss Ignominy

The worst. (By Paul Sancya - AP) As the Nats have settled into the Jim Riggleman era, their total loss pace has also settled in, in a zone much less horrific than we originally expected. For weeks, they've been on pace for somewhere around 103, 104, 105 or 106...

By Dan Steinberg | September 11, 2009; 9:26 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Nats
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Ovechkin Dismisses Boomer Esiason, NYC

(Photos by Michael Cohen - Getty) When I was wandering around Broadway Wednesday afternoon, I saw a guy in an Alex Ovechkin jersey. I asked him if he knew where the event was starting. He stared at me blankly. Turned out he was just a random dude walking around...

By Dan Steinberg | September 10, 2009; 2:17 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (24)
Categories: Caps , Media
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RFK Continues to Fall Apart

Some fans have, in moments of anguish, referred to RFK Stadium as a hole. Yeah, well, believe it. This photo, taken during Wednesday night's D.C. United victory, shows the lower portions of a Barra Brava member who had begun to be eaten alive by D.C.'s favorite decaying carcass of...

By Dan Steinberg | September 10, 2009; 11:52 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (24)
Categories: D.C. United
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Morning Bog: Riggleman Says Baseball Isn't Taxing

Taxed. (By John Bazemore - AP) The standard baseball critique from fans of hockey, soccer, football, basketball, synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, miniature golf and competitive basket weaving is that their sport is more physically taxing than baseball. The standard response from baseball fans involves emerald chessboards and the swaying...

By Dan Steinberg | September 10, 2009; 11:10 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Caps , Nats , Redskins , What You Need to Know , Wizards
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Portis on Skins Offense: "Bombs Over Baghdad"

Wednesday was his first game-week media session of the season, and Clinton Portis has already provided at least four t shirt-ready slogans. He really should just start a clothing company. He was asked how many miles he has left: "Hey, this built Ford Tough baby, I'll never break down," he...

By Dan Steinberg | September 10, 2009; 10:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Redskins
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Faces of Zorn: The Frothy Rock Star

Jim Zorn has the most expressive press conferences I've ever seen from an NFL coach, or from any coach in any sport. Here's a feature dedicated to those looks. Wednesday, Zorn was asked about what he'd say to his team before Sunday's opener, to fire them up and all...

By Dan Steinberg | September 10, 2009; 8:57 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Redskins
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Ovechkin: "It's Just the Beginning"

After Alex Ovechkin finally escaped from the throngs inside the NHL Store for a few moments on Wednesday afternoon and retreated to an upstairs studio, one of his police escorts asked him about the start of training camp. "Can't wait, actually," Ovechkin said. I can understand why. He's had...

By Dan Steinberg | September 9, 2009; 9:03 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Caps
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Alex Ovechkin, New York and a Zamboni

Ovie on zamboni. After Alex Ovechkin finished some NHL interviews, he took a break in his Upper West Side hotel room. I then headed down to 47th Street and Seventh Avenue, where a Zamboni was waiting. This is, of course, kind of weird. Below are some updates via Twitter....

By Dan Steinberg | September 9, 2009; 3:37 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Caps
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Alex Ovechkin in New York

Ovie with Carrie Milbank. So I'm currently at an Upper West Side hotel, with Caps PR guru Nate Ewell and a couple NHL staffers, waiting for Alex Ovechkin. He'll do some interviews here, then head down 6th Avenue in a zamboni. I'll take pictures, I guess. This here will...

By Dan Steinberg | September 9, 2009; 2:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Caps
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Afternoon Bog: Peter King Sides With Dan Snyder

Redskins fans love to accuse Peter King of anti-burgundy bias, and they seized on his 6-10 final record prediction this summer, as further evidence, but here comes King, defending the team's owner against charges of bankrupting Fairfax County grannies. Leif, the way I look at that one is pretty simple:...

By Dan Steinberg | September 9, 2009; 12:40 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Caps , Media , Nats , Redskins , What You Need to Know , Wizards
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Some Interesting Redskins Images

Having seen a few Redskins-related images that intrigued me in recent days, I thought maybe I'd just steal my colleague Jason Reid's Here's What I Think conceit to fill time while I ride up to New York to see Alex Ovechkin in a zamboni. Bear with me, and apologies to...

By Dan Steinberg | September 9, 2009; 11:03 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Media , Redskins
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D.C. Media Members Playing Ice Hockey

Feldman, Hellie. Obviously I was too busy stalking Real World DC members member to adequately cover Caps Media Fantasy Camp, but here are some quick observations. * Before I forget, Mike Green was around. He confirmed that @GreenLife52 is his Twitter feed, and that he will be updating it...

By Dan Steinberg | September 9, 2009; 10:11 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Caps , Media
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Portis Says O Line Has "Major Upgrades"

(By John McDonnell - TWP) A year ago this week, Barry Svrluga caused some mild tumult at Redskins Park by publishing this story about Clinton Portis, in which the back seemed to malign his offensive line. "I wish I could go to a team for one week with the...

By Dan Steinberg | September 9, 2009; 7:47 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Redskins
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Real World Comes to Caps Practice

Fact: As you might have heard, Real World is hanging out in D.C. this year. Fact: A few weeks ago, a bunch of Tweets suggested that maybe one of the Real Worlders was working for the Caps. "Yes that is correct" wrote @realworlddcnewz at some point, identifying the Real...

By Dan Steinberg | September 8, 2009; 4:56 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Caps , Media
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Caps, Favre, MMA and YouTube

Notes from Caps developmental rookie camp, while waiting for something else.... Boudreau's Tenure Bruce Boudreau was asked about being the longest tenured of D.C.'s four primary pro sports coaches. "I hope it stays that way," he said. "It is amazing. But it's our business. We love what we do, but...

By Dan Steinberg | September 8, 2009; 2:47 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Caps
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Morning Bog: Hunter Smith in the Bathroom

Chatting at 11:30. Submit questions here. Because the Internet closed for Labor Day weekend....links, with help from Max Wasserman and Jake DiGregorio. * This story from Chris Cooley could have made for one of the best photographs in NFL preseason history. Punter Hunter Smith, needing to relieve himself before...

By Dan Steinberg | September 8, 2009; 11:19 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Caps , Media , Nats , Redskins , Wizards
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Vinny Cerrato Punks Marcus Mason

(2002 photo by Jonathan Newton - TWP) So, after two near-misses and a multi-city practice squad odyssey, how did Marcus Mason finally find out he made the Redskins' 53-man roster? "Actually, I didn't get a call," he said Monday on the LaVar and Dukes show. "I was at Redskins...

By Dan Steinberg | September 8, 2009; 10:37 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (19)
Categories: Caps
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2009-2010 Redskins Odds

Presenting your 2009 Redskins odds, courtesy of Bodog. And before you dismiss this as a freebie post that the Washington Times has already done, let's take a look back at last year's Skins odds. The over-under on wins was 7.5; Washington had eight. The over-under on home wins was 4;...

By Dan Steinberg | September 8, 2009; 9:35 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Redskins
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D.C. Sports Bog: September 6, 2009 - September 12, 2009