D.C. Sports Bog - By The Washington Post's Dan Steinberg - October 3, 2010

Shanahan knows EVERYTHING

A few quick notes before the weekend. Tickets As always, the Redskins sent out a notice on Tuesday alerting fans to the availability of "player/sponsor ticket returns," face value seats for Sunday's sold-out home game. "Due to the limited number of tickets, we expect that they will be sold...

By Dan Steinberg | October 8, 2010; 3:31 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (26)
Categories: Media, Redskins
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Writing about the Bullets in the '40s

With Ted Leonsis writing that a move back to the Bullets nickname is under consideration, lots of people have been talking about the origins of that nickname this week. There are several stories floating around, and so I tried going through The Post's archives to find something definitive. That effort...

By Dan Steinberg | October 8, 2010; 9:34 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Wizards
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Brooks Laich: hot seat for Boudreau is "totally unjust"

(By Richard A. Lipski - TWP) Before he was apprehended by the authorities, Brooks Laich was spitting fire on Wednesday's Mike Wise Show, continuing his preseason of molten quotes meant to shame anyone who doesn't dream constantly of worldly excellence into game shows and a mid-afternoon six pack of...

By Dan Steinberg | October 7, 2010; 4:04 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (13)
Categories: Caps, Media
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The perils of sports talk radio interviews

Twice within 24 hours, loyal D.C. sports talk listeners have encountered real-time drama, in the form of busy people attempting to fulfill their sports-talk requests while in mechanized transport. On Wednesday, John Feinstein's weekly segment on ESPN 980's The Sports Reporters -- one of my favorite weekly segments on any...

By Dan Steinberg | October 7, 2010; 2:46 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Caps, Media, Redskins
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Redskins sign former collegiate cheerleader

The Redskins signed former Packers running back Quinn Porter to their practice squad on Thursday. There's an official rule on Porter's resume that as soon as he appears in town, at least seven reporters must write about the fact that he was once a male cheerleader in college before moving...

By Dan Steinberg | October 7, 2010; 1:20 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Redskins
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Dan Snyder's E:60 segment: the video

I've already written three items on Daniel Snyder's E:60 appearance: the trailer, the excerpts and the reaction. So I probably should include the full package, as found by Hogs Haven. Judge for yourself. (It continues below.) (See also, Eric Bickel's piece on MASNSports.com.)...

By Dan Steinberg | October 7, 2010; 12:45 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Media, Redskins
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Why Donovan McNabb said "Absolutely!"

By now, you've no doubt watched Donovan McNabb's post-game Philadelphia locker room speech eight or nine times. And you've no doubt wondered about the bizarre ending. "Everybody makes mistakes in their lifetime, and they made one last year, so thank you!" McNabb concludes to roars from his teammates, although,...

By Dan Steinberg | October 7, 2010; 12:26 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Redskins
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Verizon Center adds vegetarian fare, colder beer

Ted Leonsis's list of 101 changes he's made in 101 days of Wizards ownership has already gotten a great deal of publicity, largely because of his assertion that a name change back to Bullets is "under consideration." The list has been written about on Wizards Insider, Ball Don't Lie, SB...

By Dan Steinberg | October 7, 2010; 11:19 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: Caps, Wizards
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With Portis's injury, Riggins's record seems safe

(By Jonathan Newton - TWP) Combine Clinton Portis's latest injury with the widespread assumption that this could be his final year in Washington, and here's where you wind up: John Riggins's place atop the Redskins' all-time rushing record seems safe. Remember, Portis entered last season needing 1,370 rushing yards...

By Dan Steinberg | October 7, 2010; 10:29 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (19)
Categories: Media, Redskins
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Can a sports psychologist help the Caps?

When Mike Green called a solo press conference last spring to discuss his team's early playoff loss, he mentioned how his mind was trying to process the need to be better defensively while still contributing on offense. "When that gets into your head, you tend to not do the...

By Dan Steinberg | October 7, 2010; 9:43 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Caps
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About Brandon Banks's size

(By Jonathan Newton - TWP) Redskins punt returner Brandon Banks, who burst on the season with a return for a touchdown in Washington's first preseason game and did it again last week with a 53-yarder, is listed as 5-foot-8 and 155 pounds. That makes him the lightest player in...

By Dan Steinberg | October 6, 2010; 5:53 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Redskins
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Wizards preseason ratings soar

Consider this blog an empty vessel to be filled with incessant ratings information from local sports broadcasts. Here's the latest: the John Wall-led Wizards on Comcast SportsNet went boffo on Tuesday night, earning a 1.80 average rating in the D.C. market, equal to about 43,000 households. That's up more than...

By Dan Steinberg | October 6, 2010; 3:33 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Media, Wizards
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Portrait of Dan Snyder as a young man

Tuesday night's E:60 profile on Dan Snyder was likely his best batch of national publicity since the Redskins hired Jim Zorn. There were cursory mentions of some of his early missteps, and several comments from the owner about his recent regrets, but the overall tone was certainly more positive...

By Dan Steinberg | October 6, 2010; 1:41 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (40)
Categories: Media, Redskins
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Nats TV ratings double in 2010

Back in May, when all was happiness and cherry blossoms and "Get Up!" shouts in NatsTown, I noted that the team's TV ratings were way up over 2009. A lot happened since then: Stephen Strasburg arrived, Rob Dibble departed, the winning percentage plummeted and football season began. And yet, with...

By Dan Steinberg | October 6, 2010; 12:38 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Nats
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Gilbert through the years, more quickly

When I posted the gallery of Gilbert Arenas Media Day portraits earlier this week, several people said it demanded the GIF treatment. Reader @SubyWill complied. This is captivating. I could watch it for hours. I have, actually....

By Dan Steinberg | October 6, 2010; 10:46 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Wizards
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Wizards celebrate last-second win

For reasons only my shrink could decipher, I was actually watching the end of the Wizards' preseason debut on Tuesday night, so I saw this highlight live. And then I rewound it multiple times. When you're rewinding a preseason celebration multiple times, you know it's worthy of a blog...

By Dan Steinberg | October 5, 2010; 11:43 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Wizards
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On Brian Orakpo and holding

Remember this image? This was an uncalled sleeper hold applied to Brian Orakpo during a crucial moment of the Texans game, as Houston drove for the tying score. A few days later, I asked Orakpo if he remembered the play. "No idea," he said. "I'm past that game. I'm...

By Dan Steinberg | October 5, 2010; 5:21 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (23)
Categories: Redskins
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Gilbert Arenas, through the years

After 17 media members wrote items about Gilbert Arenas refusing to smile for photographers at Wizards media day, there was a justifiable backlash, with readers asking whether this was really all that interesting. Longtime Bog friend H. then sent along a link to a history of Gilbert's media day poses....

By Dan Steinberg | October 5, 2010; 2:51 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (22)
Categories: Wizards
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Redskins Insider Live Webcast

Rick Maese and LaVar Arrington joined Dan Steinberg on this week's Redskins Insider Live webcast to talk about the win in Philadelphia and this Sunday's Portis-less game against the Packers. You can also download the podcast of this show or subscribe to the podcast....

By Washington Post Editors | October 5, 2010; 1:23 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)

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Tony Kornheiser re-ups with Red Zebra

In my capacity as Official Washington Post Reporter of D.C. Sports Talk Radio, I think it's incumbent upon me to pass along Tuesday's release from Red Zebra. The broadcasting network announced that it has re-signed Tony Kornheiser to a two-year deal that will keep his show on ESPN 980,...

By Dan Steinberg | October 5, 2010; 1:22 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Media
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Funny quotes about Clinton Portis's groin

If you, like me, are a 12-year old male currently residing in the back of a middle school bus, you would have loved Clinton Portis's radio appearance with Mike Wise this week. They talked about Portis's injured groin. Like, a lot. In many different ways. There was much giggling....

By Dan Steinberg | October 5, 2010; 12:53 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Media, Redskins
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Cooley on Eagles fans

(Photos by Toni L. Sandys - TWP) A couple years ago, I collected a whole bunch of stories from Redskins players about what it's like to play in Philly. Jon Jansen's tale of grandmothers mooning him were particularly memorable. I didn't ask the egg questions this time around, but...

By Dan Steinberg | October 5, 2010; 11:59 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Redskins
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Shanahan vs. Aikman on Haynesworth

Here's a little game I like to play called "Guess the Haynesworth Quote." Here's how it works: I print a quote about Albert Haynesworth, uttered either by Skins Coach Mike Shanahan or Fox broadcaster Troy Aikman. Then you get to guess who said what. 1) "Albert Haynesworth has not...

By Dan Steinberg | October 5, 2010; 9:42 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (45)
Categories: Media, Redskins
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ESPN's Daniel Snyder profile

(Courtesy ESPN) Not long into the lengthy Daniel Snyder profile that will run on ESPN Tuesday night, the much-discussed topic of Snyder's childhood Redskins fandom is raised. "I think from when I was six, I started wearing Redskins gear and belt buckles and all sorts of stuff, and just...

By Dan Steinberg | October 4, 2010; 5:47 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (58)
Categories: Media, Redskins
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Brent Celek says Eagles should have won

(By Toni L. Sandys - TWP) Football fans in Philadelphia on this Monday are like football fans in Washington last Monday. Furious. Outraged. Ready to drink gobs of beer in order to take revenge on the gods. And players will now be put through the same media circuit the...

By Dan Steinberg | October 4, 2010; 3:42 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (22)
Categories: Media, Redskins
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Shanahan tells Redskins McNabb was "fired"

(By Jonathan Newton - TWP) For all the oatmeal talk about how this was Redskins vs. Eagles, not McNabb vs. Philadelphia, Mike Shanahan wasn't shy about using McNabb's ouster as motivation this week. DeAngelo Hall explained after the game, in an appearance on Comcast SportsNet's Post Game Live. "All...

By Dan Steinberg | October 4, 2010; 1:44 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Redskins
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Charles Barkley in a McNabb jersey

In July, Charles Barkley promised he'd wear a Donovan McNabb jersey to Lincoln Financial Field this season to support his friend. "And I hope it's snowing, and we can make snowballs, and I can throw 'em right back at em, too. I can't wait. I can't wait to come,"...

By Dan Steinberg | October 4, 2010; 11:59 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Redskins
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Meet Lord Romo, Super Cowboys Fan

This is the best photograph of a Cowboys fan the universe has ever seen. It will probably never be replicated. It should immediately be placed inside the World Cowboys Fan Photography Hall of Fame. Lord Romo is a credit to his fan base It comes, as you might have...

By Dan Steinberg | October 4, 2010; 11:26 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: NFL
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John Wall's 360-degree layup

John Wall's absurd layup from Sunday's Fan Fest was justifiably the lede of Michael Lee's next day report. John Wall split two defenders near the foul line with cat-quick speed, then evaded two more inside with a beautiful, pirouette spin move and banked in a layup. Then he stomped...

By Dan Steinberg | October 4, 2010; 9:39 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Wizards
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Eagles fans welcome McNabb back to Philadelphia

The quick story of Donovan McNabb's return to Philadelphia went like this: in front of a crowd filled with hundreds if not thousands of fans wearing his jerseys -- his Eagles home jersey and his Eagles road jersey and his Eagles throwback jersey and his Eagles jersey tee and...

By Dan Steinberg | October 3, 2010; 9:35 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Redskins
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Donovan McNabb's post-game speech

(By Toni L. Sandys - TWP) In case you turned away from the post-game scene or maybe had a post-game heart attack, this is what happened in the Redskins locker room. Mike Shanahan handed the game ball to Donovan McNabb, who, as you might have heard, had a bit...

By Dan Steinberg | October 3, 2010; 7:54 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (26)
Categories: Media, Redskins
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Redskins-Eagles, Best and Worst

(By Toni L. Sandys - TWP) Best and worst from Washington's 17-12 win over the Eagles. Best Homecoming: Donovan McNabb's performance was up and down, and far from pretty, but you'll take a win every time. Worst Trade: Maybe Mike Vick is more electric than McNabb, but a grandmother's...

By Dan Steinberg | October 3, 2010; 7:31 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (43)
Categories: Redskins
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D.C. Sports Bog: October 3, 2010 - October 9, 2010