Well done, thou good and faithful servant

As the nation acknowledged the passing of Ted Kennedy at 77, the Wilson family of Mississippi was pausing to mourn the loss of its matriarch at the age of 78 last week. Unlike the late Senator, there's not much doubt about where Roena Wilson will be spending eternity. Her case is a lot more cut and dry.

Roena, or MawMaw as I came to know her over the past five-and-a-half years, was a truly remarkable person who truly deserved the praise lavished on Kennedy. She raised five children and played a large role in the upbringing of a large number of grandchildren. She worked hard all day, then took care of her husband and family. She had the rough duty of taking care of several family members, and then her husband, as they declined slowly and passed away.

Sadly, by the time I got to know her, Mrs. Wilson was already in her own mortal decline. Parkison's Disease, for those of you who are not familiar with it, is a slow, brutal and painful killer. A couple of days before she died, she endured a 38-minute seizure. That's rough on anyone, but try being 78 years old, five-foot nothing and maybe 100 pounds.

She never complained. She dealt with her illness with grace and dignity, not to mention a resolve that was truly amazing to behold.

Good wishes sometimes aren't enough, otherwise she'd be healthy and still with us. My relations with my grandparents have varied from strained to non-existent, and three of the four are now gone. As a result, I wasn't prepared for the outpouring of love and emotion from generations of Wilsons who came back home to tell their Momma and MawMaw goodbye one last time.

But they're all quite convinced she's in a lot better place. And they should be, because if such a place exists, she's there.

Unfortunately, CNN or Fox or whoever was busy praising Ted Kennedy and missed a shining example of a great American life. I know this is a lousy substitute, but hopefully it's just a start.

Rest well, MawMaw. Hopefully, we'll see you later.

Teddy's gone, but here's how to sum up his legacy

Last week, while I was in Mississippi attending the funeral of my wife's grandmother--a truly great and good person, a caring heart who never did anything to hurt another soul--Ted Kennedy dropped dead. Immediately, the stories of how wonderful the "Liberal Lion" of the Senate was began to pollute the airwaves.

Of course, no person is totally bad--hang on, Stalin, Hitler, Saddam and Mao, I just changed my mind on you--but Kennedy has a lot to answer for when it comes to the actions of this life. Just a few that come to mind:

• A was a serial philanderer who helped put his first wife at the bottom of a bottle;
• He would defame, slander and ruin the reputation of another human being for political expense (Robert Bork, anyone?);
• He was known for boorish conduct, if not outright sexual harassment of women, during his "wilderness years";
• He expected other people to live and operate under a different set of standards than he set for himself.
• Oh, yeah: he was directly responsible for the death of another human being.
  

Why did he do all this? Because he thought, correctly as it turns out, that he could. He was not only a child of privilege, but an example of sheer, unbridled arrogance. That arrogance didn't diminish with age, as he screamed and yelled about the need for alternative energy sources, then fought tooth and nail against a proposed wind farm on Cape Cod. But nothing shows his chutzpah better than a letter he sent to Pope Benedict XVI asking for him to pray on his behalf before he died.

That letter didn't read anything like this, but in an honest world, it would have:

"Dear Pope:

For the last 47 years, I have consistently opposed the doctrine of the Catholic Church during my service in the United States Senate, both on the floor of that institution and in my personal life. I have vigorously fought against many of the church's dictates, including its opposition to contraception and abortion and its stance on homosexuality. During my first marriage, which was later annulled (thanks for that, by the way), I repeatedly took part in adulterous relationships. I was also in the driver of a car that ended up in the Chappaquiddick River in July 1969 that cost Mary Jo Kopechne her life. Though I was in a position to assist Ms. Kopechne in escaping the car, I did not do so.

For five decades, I have publicly and personally scorned the Church's dictates. But let's let bygones be bygones, shall we?

Let's cut to the chase: I'm 77 and I'm dying of an incurable brain tumor. I really want to make sure I make it to heaven, so would you please put aside my past transgressions and pray on my behalf? I know the Almighty will listen to you, and that you'll do as I ask.

After all, I am a Kennedy.

Sincerely yours,

Edward M. Kennedy"

The silence from the Vatican seems to indicate the Pope told Teddy to go pound sand. Ouch.

Rest in Peace, Teddy.

I am sick and tired of Brett Favre (again)

Here we go again. The man with an ego bigger than the game is back once more, determined to further destroy what was once an outstanding reputation.

For $12 million and a chance to get at the Packers, who had the nerve to get rid of him after he spent an entire offseason retired, then expected to have his job handed back to him even though the team had built its plans around Aaron Rodgers. How dare they take his word when he said he was retired (and was staying retired)? How dare they finally move on after he had jerked them around with retirement threats for the previous three seasons?

So now he gets his shot at payback. Sucks for him that, if the Vikings win, it'll probably be in spite of him instead of because of him. For a lot of reasons.

For one thing, he's not what he used to was, which is one of the reasons the Pack (wisely) kicked him to the curb. He's 39, nearly 40, with a tear in his rotator cuff. His fastball has lost a couple miles an hour, the speed he needed to make the ill-advised throws he's made for 20 years. He threw 22 TDs last year, but also threw 22 INTs. He hasn't gotten any smarter.

For the Vikings, this is a problem. With their running game and defense, they need a quarterback who can manage a game, make smart decisions and not turn the ball over. Sage Rosenfels and Tavaris Jackson wouldn't have been a whole lot better, but their mistakes would come through simple blunders--not blunders caused by a quarterback switching out of plays called because he wants to gamble, who wants to throw deep.

Guys who don't screw up because they're Brett Favre and haven't recognized they're not what they once were.

His out of control ego won't just hurt the Vikings on the field. He's already pissed off a lot of his new teammates by jerking them around, acting like he was still retired and then showing up once most of training camp was done because it was convenient. Farve, like Roger Clemens late in his career, plays by a different set of rules--because he thinks he's entitled to it. That crap doesn't play well in NFL locker rooms, and when it becomes apparent that Favre isn't the Favre of a decade ago but still thinks he is (and should be treated as such), his teammates will sour on him. That is, the ones who haven't already.

I'm sick of Favre's ego, his belief that he's bigger than any team and that he can just make and break rules at his leisure. Football's the ultimate team game, and that's what makes it so great. Favre thinks its him and 52 other players.

He's a joke. He's a shell of himself and is disgracing his legacy. I hope he flops in Minnesota, goes back to Hattiesburg and stays there. Enough of him.

Who is Christine Michael?

(this is part of the 30 questions/30 days series on the Texas A&M football team)

Answer: You'll know soon enough. So will the Big 12.

Let's make one thing quite clear: Cyrus Gray is developing into a quality running back. He worked his way into the starting lineup last year at the expense of more experienced (and oft-injured) players Mike Goodson, Keondra Smith and Jorvorskie Lane. His reward will probably be lost carries.

Why? Christine Michael. Don't call him "Christine," by the way; his name is pronounced "Christian." In spite of that pronunciation, he may go Old Testament on the competition, sooner rather than later.

Michael has the classic A&M running back build, like Greg Hill, Rodney Thomas and Leeland McElroy: he's 5'11, 205. He's also runs the 40 in the mid 4.4's, so he has the size and strength to pound opponents and the speed to hit the home run. He also holds on to the ball, which differentiates him from Goodson (who is still struggling with that in the NFL). Even though he is dancing around behind the line of scrimmage in practice, most of the time he hits the hole aggressively.

Michael is the Aggies' most-heralded running back recruit since Goodson and may turn out to be the best they've had since McElroy. That's heady praise, but this true freshman appears to be the complete package. In two years, Michael may be known as the guy who returns Texas A&M to football prominence.

Is Howard Morrow going to contribute this year for Texas A&M?

(this is part of the 30 questions/30 days series on the Texas A&M football team)

Answer: Sure looks like it.

Morrow, who was one of A&M's most heralded wide receiver recruits in history when he arrived on campus four years ago. Since then, he's been an unmitigated bust. He got bigger to block (thanks, Fran), got slower and then forgotten. When he did get the ball thrown his way, he had trouble holding on to it.

In the minds of most people, Morrow was an afterthought as he went into his senior year. Mike Sherman and Nolan Cromwell appear to have subscribed to a different set of ideas, even with A&M bringing in a group of extremely talented receivers. Morrow has lost a lot of weight (as much as 20 pounds), regained his speed and might be the starter at the slot receiver position. He's made a number of outstanding catches in practice.

He's also dropped a number of routine ones, which has been a bug-a-boo.

If Morrow can start in the slot and has has the speed he was supposed to when he got to campus, A&M just got another tremendous weapon. With Jeff Fuller and the cast of freshmen (and maybe Ryan Tannehill), the Aggies could have speed and size at the receiver position that will be tough to match up with.

What are the Aggies going to do at linebacker?

(this is part of the 30 questions/30 days series on the Texas A&M football team)

Answer: Get a lot younger, and a lot faster.

The Aggies are allegedly running a 3-4 scheme with a "Jack" hybrid defensive end/linebacker position being played by Von Miller. Considering Miller (and Matt Featherston) are looking more like quick defensive ends than anything resembling a linebacker, it may be more appropriate to say the Aggies will probably be starting three young and inexperienced LBs.

The days of Mark Dodge and Misi Tupe are gone; A&M may have the youngest linebacking corps in the conference.

The only returning player with any semblance of experience is OLB Garrick Williams, who would start if the season began today. Williams was throw in to the fire last year and has an idea of what to expect, but is serviceable and not much more. Redshirt freshman Kyle Mangan has beaten out Anthony Lewis and will start at MLB, and reports are that he's the real deal. If so, it would be a pleasant development. Ricky Cavanaugh, who has freakish athletic ability but is still raw, has put on an estimated 15 pounds of muscle and will probably start at the other OLB position. Whether he's developed his skill set remains in question. If it ever clicks for Cavanaugh, he has the potential to be dominant.

Even if Williams, Mangan and Cavanaugh perform, a number of true freshman are going to play anyway. Four-star linebacker Jonathan Stewart has the size (6'4", 221 lbs.), strength and speed to step in and play immediately and will probably do just that. He could be starting be conference play at one of the OLB slots. His early performance hasn't changed the perception that he's going to be an outstanding college linebacker. Sean Porter, Aaron Arteburn, Malcom Johnson, Andrew Weaver and Michael Lamothe may all get on the field at some point this year, because--if nothing else--they're faster than nearly all the other LBs already on campus.

The current crop of linebackers is young and, consequently, will experience growing pains. But they've got a lot of talent and with at least two keepers in Mangan and Stewart, are an improvement over last season. That improvement just may not be apparent immediately.

Do the Aggies have a cornerback who can cover?

Answer: Still unknown.

Part of the reason for the non-answer answer is the fact the Aggies have no idea who they're going to have available to play corner. Their greatest hope for a shutdown corner is JUCO transfer Coryell Judie, but it's no certainty he's going to qualify. The coaching staff is confident that all he needs is for one more online class to get graded and approved, but the Judie song-and-dance has already gone on a lot longer than it was supposed to.

If Judie doesn't make it on campus, an already perilous situation becomes downright scary as the remaining corner corps is a mix of youth, inexperience and guys who simply haven't played real well to this point in their careers.

Terrence Frederick, who was thrown into starting duties last year, returns and will almost certainly start at one corner. Justin McQueen, a walk-on, is currently starting on the other side, and while he's gotten fairly good reviews, he's still a walk-on. The much-maligned Jordan Peterson has moved back to corner again and, while the coaches would almost certainly like for him to be operating in the nickle against the slot receiver, he may get moved outside.

As many as three true freshmen may play because of the lack of veteran depth. Dustin Harris, Steven Terrell and Desmond Gardiner are all talented and have shown flashes in camp, but you still don't want three college rookies covering the experienced receivers of the Big 12. Harris and Terrell almost certainly will play this year and will likely have their struggles, which may help them down the road but will sting in 2009.

How big of a differerene will Albert Haynesworth make to the Redskins' defense?

(This is question three in the 30 questions/30 days series on the 2009 Washington Redskins)

Redskins fans got excited when they heard Albert Haynesworth and signed his big-money deal and was coming to D.C. It was almost as exciting as the day when Dana Stubblefield, another NFL defensive player of the year, and Dan Wilkinson, the first overall pick in the draft, came to town.

Yeah, that worked out real well.

Neither Stubblefield nor Wilkinson performed above average in Washington, struggling in the Redskins’ defensive scheme. The Redskins don’t use Tennessee’s scheme, either, which allowed Haynesworth more of an ability to freelance.

Gulp.

Defensive Coordinator Greg Blache is no idiot, though, and he’s already said that he’s willing to implement some modifications to allow Hayesworth to do his thing. And, if he does do what he’s done the last couple of years (read: he’s not going to slack off now that he’s gotten paid), it’ll make a lot of difference to the Redskins defensive line.

When it came to run-stopping, the ‘Skins were fine. Rushing the passer, however, was a tragedy. When Andre Carter’s four sacks are the best you’ve got, you’re not going to be a playoff team. That should be a lot different this year.

With Haynesworth’s 350 lbs. blowing up the center, the double teams Carter saw are going to evaporate. The Redskins have even talked about moving Haynesworth to the end in passing situations, which would be something interesting to see. That would mean that Brian Orakpo would probably be rushing from a standup position, something he did a lot at Texas.

Haynesworth is a tremendous weapon. His presence alone makes his teammates better. Having Phillip Daniels back and adding Orakpo gives the Redskins two extra weapons that will be able to capitalize on the presence of the NFL’s best tackle. Carter should be the one who benefits the most, since he’s the most experienced pass rush threat on the team.

Of course, all of this goes for naught if Haynesworth’s old attitude problems resurface, his knee problems flare up or he can’t get comfortable in Blache’s system. If things go the way they should, however, the Redskins could see the most dramatic change of fortune of any defensive line in football in 2009.

What defense will A&M run this year (and will it be any better)?

(This is question three in the 30 questions/30 days series on the 2009 Texas A&M football team)

If the Aggies don’t have the personnel to bring back the Wrecking Crew, at least they’re going to run the defense that made them famous. After more than a half-decade away, the 3-4 is making a return to College Station. Unfortunately, that may be more out of necessity than anything.

A&M is short at defensive tackle, and may be even more thin if touted signee Chris Henderson doesn’t get in to school (even though he’s on the 105-man roster, odds are he won’t). This means that Tony Jerod-Eddie, Eddie Brown and (hopefully) Rod Davis are ready to man the nose. Coach Mike Sherman likes his young tackles, especially Jerod-Eddie, who he feels is strong and quick enough to take on double-teams and still be disruptive.

Brown may also see time playing at defensive end on running downs, with Matt Moss starting at the other end position. It’s during passing downs that one of last year’s defensive ends, Von Miller, may be working with his hand on the ground, or rushing from a stand-up position. Miller will be the starter at the “Jack” position, a hybrid between end and outside linebacker. Think someone like a Jason Glenn, and that’s what the Aggies are hoping to get out of Miller (and Matt Featherston).

Linebacker, as it has been for years, remains a question mark. This season, the linebacking corps is going to be much faster than last year, but will be painfully young. Sherman is very excited about Kyle Mangan (who was on the depth chart last year as a fullback) tacking over one of the inside linebacker positions as a redshirt freshman. Mangan appears to be a quick study and a leader, and that’s a good thing—the Ags are going to need that. Ricky Cavanaugh, who saw a little playing time as a true freshman last year, stands at the top of the depth chart at one of the outside positions as camp starts, and Garrick Williams, a starter last year, might start again this year on the outside.

But of all the positions on the field, linebacker may be the one where youth gets served quickly. Johnathan Stewart, from Shreveport, La., may be a starter on opening day. Sean Porter and Aaron Arteburn are two other may be two other guys that see playing time quickly.

With Jordan Pugh and Trent Hunter, the safety positions are well-manned. Corner, however, is a glaring need. If JUCO transfer Coryell Judie doesn’t get in, the Aggies are in serious trouble. If he does, Judie should be able to hold one corner position on his own. Terence Frederick, who struggled last year as a true freshman, will probably start at the other corner, though Justin McQueen may fight for playing time. The much-maligned Jordan Peterson has also returned to corner, and may be assigned to cover the slot man in the nickel. Dustin Harris and Steven Terrell may be forced into playing as true freshmen as well.

Will the Aggies be as bad defensively this year as last? Probably not, because they’re not nearly as slow and Joe Kines’ defensive scheme has been simplified and adapted to the team’s personnel. But expecting them to be in the top tier of the Big 12 may be a year premature.

How bad is the Redskins' offensive line?

(this is part of the 30 questions/30 days series on the 2009 Washington Redskins)

At the end of last season, the Redskins’ offensive line was a mess. Chris Samuels was hurt, Randy Thomas was hurt, Stephon Heyer was limping and Jon Janson was overmatched. Jason Campbell had no chance against aggressive defenses like Baltimore, who battered him at will. When the team didn’t seriously address the position (beyond the signing of Derrick Dockery to replace Pete Kendall, who had replaced….Derrick Dockery) during the draft or free agency, a lot of people thought it was a really dumb idea. Count me as one of them.

When the Washington Post declares the line a “train wreck” two days into training camp, it’s an indication of two things: the Post can be a tad…reactionary, and they’ve still got problems.

The biggest problem is that the line is old. Samuels, center Casey Rabach and Thomas are all on the wrong side of 30, which is young for a person but old for an offensive lineman. The advantage is they’re experienced; the bad news is that they’re battered and more susceptible to injury. Rehabilitating from a neck injury, Thomas may be one stinger away from having his career ended (or worse).

The other two likely starters, Dockery and Heyer, are big question marks. Dockery was great his last year in Washington and translated that into a huge contract with Buffalo. Two years later, he’s back, released because his performance just wasn’t that good. Coach Jim Zorn seems to love Heyer, but he hasn’t shown much to inspire confidence that he’s a solid NFL player.

That’s why right tackle is the biggest problem on a problem-plagued offensive line. If Heyer proves to be incapable of handling the job, the ‘Skins’ options are limited. One is former No.1 draft pick Mike Williams out of Texas, who has been out of football for two years and needed to lose 100 pounds to get down to 345. Concerns about his ability to pass block have already appeared a mere week into camp, which was something he had trouble with when he was supposedly an elite lineman. If the Williams experiment fails, Carolina castoff Jeremy Bridges is the likely replacement.

With a bunch of young players with no experience backing up at every other position, the Redskins have precisely no margin for error this season. If the offensive line remains healthy (and Heyer can play), they should be competent. If there are any injuries, disaster looms.

Will Texas A&M's offensive line be better in 2009?

(this is part of 30 questions/30 days devoted to the Texas A&M football game as the prepare for the 2009 season)

Last year was not a pleasant one for the Texas A&M offensive line. A unit that has developed an impressive number of players that have gone on to play in the NFL over the past couple of decades was a train wreck in 2008, doing a poor job run-blocking and giving up more sacks than any other unit in conference play. Some of that was due to a swarm of injuries, including those that ended the careers of Robbie Frost and Leroy Chevalier and ones that essentially left Lee Grimes playing on sheer grit alone. Some of it was due to lack of depth. But the bottom line was that the unit simply was not very good.

There is a good chance that the offensive line will be significantly better in 2009—if the injury bug doesn’t bite with the ferocity of last year. Some offseason publications have ranked them as high as 18^th in the nation, which is a testament to their potential.

Starters Kevin Matthews (center), Grimes (tackle) and Michael Shumard (guard) return, giving the line a bit of consistency it lacked last year. Lucas Patterson moves from defensive tackle to left tackle, and LSU transfer Matt Allen is the leading candidate to take the other guard position.

Even though it looks like questions about who the starters are (if healthy) are answered, there are still more than plenty to go around. The biggest, of course, is whether Patterson can not only the switch from defense to offense, but is he ready to play the most important position on the offensive line? Can Grimes, who switched from guard to tackle last year in desperation, ready to take right tackle job full time? Can Allen shake off the rust of essentially two years on the sidelines to be effective? Can this bunch become a cohesive unit?

They’re already behind the curve on the cohesive question, since injuries held several of them out during spring practice. But a month of consistent work should be enough to have them ready to go Sept. 5.

Depth remains a serious issue, however. Evan Eike and Joe Villavisencio both return and will probably be the backups at guard. There is no real depth at tackle, though, as can be attested to the presence of Vincent Williams on two-deep. That’s why Coach Mike Sherman thinks as many as three true freshmen will contribute this season. The one most likely to see significant playing time is 6’5”, 300-lb. Stephen Barerra, who will probably crack the two-deep by the end of two-a-days.

With Barerra, Rhonte Scales and Patrick Lewis already on campus and a truly outstanding crop of commits for 2010 (including Kevin Matthews’ brother, Jake), the offensive line will be a strength in a couple of years. Right now, however, it’s a question mark. If the starters stay healthy, the offensive line probably won’t be a strength, but certainly a great improvement over last year. But you’ll forgive Sherman if he holds his breath through August, praying for no injuries.

Nancy Pelosi, the People's Champion, shows her tin ear

What a disgusting creature nitwit Nancy is. Here we are in a massive recession, a large portion of which can be blamed directly on her (and wait until inflation hits, thanks to "Stimulus"), and what's she want?

Nancy wanna a new airplane!

The 69-year-old spoiled brat, who has already whined that the Department of Defense doesn't have a plane at her beck and call all the time, now wants to purchase three Gulfstream 550s.

Total cost: $200 million.

According to Roll Call, the 550s are capable of flying long distances without refueling (italics mine). The company's promotional materials say: "The cabin aboard the G550 combines productivity with exceptional comfort. It features up to four distinct living areas, three temperature zones, a choice of 12 floor plan configurations with seating for up to 18 passengers."

Why the italics? Because Nitwit Nancy has, in the past, gotten pissed off that the private planes she gets from the DOD can't fly all the way from D.C. to San Francisco without refueling. She feels that stopping at a major Air Force base is a "security risk."

More likely, she's afraid of having to deal with the riff-raff. Otherwise, that snot-nosed biatch would fly commercial like 95 percent of Congress.

An evening with The Midget

For those of you who don't know, I have a God-daughter. Sort of. Long story.
Anyway, she's 6, she's full of pep and energy, has a big smile and, in most cases, is utterly adorable. Sometimes, of course, like most kids, she has a little too much energy and things get past her in the excitement of life.

The suckage of Filipe Paulino just happens to be one of those things.

For those of you who don't know, Filipe Paulino is a pitcher for the Houston Astros. He should be a supervisor at Bubbles Car Wash, or something where he can do no more harm to my psyche. This guy is killing me. KILLING ME! I don't know how to say "Batting Practice" en Espanol, but this guy is it. The guy has a 7.28 ERA and has given up 13 homers in 59 innings--and I swear that I've been in attendance for EVERY SINGLE ONE.

Which brings us to last night's game. Last night was supposed to be Roy Oswalt's night on the mound. He's hurt, which means El Sucko Pitchero was on the hill. I had a feeling the latest edition of Suckfest '09 was in the offing last night and had a slight feeling of trepidation (read: I figured the Astros were gonna get their teeth kicked in) when we got to the yard last night.

The Midget, on the other hand, was all kinds of pumped. She was at the ballgame, she was gonna see her man Carlos Lee and all was right with the world.

Ah, to be young and not give a damn that you're 5 games out of the division lead and your pitcher couldn't get Stephen Hawking out in a must-win game.

(A quick aside: try imagining Hawking's computerized voice saying, "Paulino blows goats." I can. It's quite amusing and painfully true.)

Anyway, as predicted, Paulino went out and did his best imitation of the Hindenburg from the start, leaving me in a dour mood. The Midget, on the other hand, remained fired up, heckling the Giants with all her might.

"BOO GIANTS! YOU'RE NO GOOD!" (Score: 2-0 Giants, top 2)

The Midget found out Pablo Sandoval, the Giants 3rd Baseman, is nicknamed Kung Fu Panda. So she responded by jeering, "BOO KING FU PANDA!" Kung Fu Panda was offended, and hit a ball to New Caney to show his displeasure.

"THAT'S ALL RIGHT, THAT'S OK, WE'RE GONNA BEAT YOU ANYWAY!" (2-0 Giants to 4-0 Giants, pretty much continuously).

After a while, I leaned over and told her the cold, unvarnished truth.

"We're not gonna win. Paulino sucks."

"Oh," she replied.

Pause. One beat, two beats...

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ASTROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS!"

Final score: Giants 8, Astros 1.

Go. Team. Go. It's all right, it's ok, Drayton made you suck this way!

30 days, 30 questions/Washington Redskins

(The first of an ongoing series)

Question 1: Can Jason Campbell take the Redskins to the playoffs?

The answer, as far as the front office appears to be concerned, is no--but they'd sure as hell better hope they're wrong, because he's the best they've got for 2009.

The Redskins spent most of the offseason trying to get rid of Campbell, or at least bring in his replacement. First, they tried and failed to get Jay Cutler; then they tried and failed to get Mark Sanchez in the draft. So, two "we're sorry"s and "you're our guy"s later, Jason Campbell is still the starter in D.C. and probably feels like a doormat.

I'm not the biggest Jason Campbell fan--he's slightly above average, IMHO--but the Redskins screwed him royally this past offseason. And that may just be the impetus he needs to become more than average.

He's working for the second consecutive year in the same offensive system, something he hasn't had the opportunity to do much of...well, ever. That may help cut down on his hesitation in the pocket and the repeated pump-fakes that helped lead to some nasty sacks last year. Having Devin Thomas with a clue and Malcom Kelly with two knees might help, also. He's still going to need an improved offensive line, though.

It's five years in to the Jason Campbell experiment and this is it. Fish or cut bait. He's going to have to step it up, or the Redskins will certainly cut his line and let him float away after the offseason, becasuse no playoffs=no extension. No playoffs also = big problems for a lot of other folks, too.

30 days, 30 questions/Texas A&M Aggies

(This will be a daily series leading up to A&M's season opener Sept. 5 against New Mexico at Kyle Field. If you have a question you want answered, leave a comment and, who knows? It might be.)

Question #1: Who's the starting quarterback?

That's an answer to be determined, though the answer, if things go right and the team is to improve in 2009, should be Jerrod Johnson. Even though the answer should be plainly obvious, considering last year, Coach Mike Sherman is giving Ryan Tannehill a shot at winning the QB job.

Johnson is one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in A&M history, right up there with Reggie McNeal and Kevin Murray. He holds the school record for most touchdowns thrown in a season (21) and threw for 2435 years, even though he didn't start two games. And he did this as a sophomore.

So what's the problem?

In Mike Sherman's own words, he was not happy with how quickly Johnson picked up parts of the offense last year, his tempo during the games and, most importantly his number of turnovers. Last year, Johnson too frequently relied on his athleticism to get him out of trouble, which led to forced passes that were picked off, bad sacks or worse, fumbles.

In other words, he played like a rookie.

Sherman has challeneged Johnson to step up his game, and Sherman seems to think he has done so. But he made a deal with Tannehill to allow him a crack at the QB job, even though he's the team's second best reciever right now. Tannehill is apparently a smart guy and has a good arm, which makes the competition more interesting than it should be.

But Sherman has already put a finite timetable on the Tannehill QB experiment--12 practices. That means he's got to be much better than Jerrod right off the bat--not a little better, a lot better.

Sherman has also said he wants to throw it down the field more often, and that screams Jerrod Johnson. At Coach's Night in Houston, Sherman said Johnson throws the deep ball as well as anyone he's ever seen--and he coached Brett Favre.

Bet on Jerrod Johnson being the starting QB opening day, as well he should be.