Ready for Some Football?

It is such a wonderful time of the year! No, not because school is back in session...it is time for Redskins' football. This is the time of the year that hope runs eternal for me and all Redskin's fans. Will this be the year my team returns to glory? Will the new coach, new general manager and new quarterback have the answers to bringing a winning season to the nation's capital and a possible playoff appearance? Here's hoping... AND...Hail to the Redskins!

Sorry Cowboy fans... ; )

Redskins...describing fan faces after the last two games!

As many of you know, I am a life-long Redskin fan. I have lived through the glory years (yes, there were glory years: 5 Superbowl appearances and 3 Superbowl wins), and more recently, years of frustration, anger and embarrassment as a Redskin faithful. This year has been particularly difficult. The drama off the the field has been more interesting than the play on the field. This is great if you happen to be a soap opera fan, unfortunately for me, I am a football fan and I prefer WINS!

Like any good soap opera, the last two Redskins' games have been featured on national TV for the whole world to see. My beloved team, the one that has been hijacked by evil forces, has looked terrible and played even worse. Our team is now competing to see which franchise will be vote most dysfunctional. We are in the hunt for this honor with the likes of Cleveland, St. Louis, Oakland and Detroit.

To sum up this season to me, I have attached two video clips to review. One video clip is from a high school game played two years ago. Interestingly enough, the play was successful when implemented by teenagers.

The second video clip is from the recent Monday Night Football game featuring the "not so special" special teams of the Washington Redskins against the New York Giants. Does this play look familiar? Are the Redskins now getting plays from high school coaches off Youtube?
Worse yet, the Redskins couldn't execute the play.

Simply...embarrassing!

I am praying for this season to end so that we can begin to rebuild, again! For those counting, I believe this will be 7th head coaching change in 11 years. Yes, I believe the Jim Zorn Era will come to an end sometime during the week of Jan. 4th.

Pay-Back Is Rough: Redskins' Loss Causes Another Fashion Disaster!

If you have been reading my blog regularly (thanks very much!), you might recall when the Redskins beat the Cowboys earlier this year, Fire Marshall Shilling (a lifelong Cowboys fan) came to ELMS and wore a Redskins’ jersey and sang the Redskin Fight Song during our 7th Grade lunch period. He did this to pay-off the friendly wager he had made with me during Back to School Night in September. Unfortunately for me, we made the same friendly wager again for the most recent Cowboys/Redskins game played last weekend. As you probably know, the Cowboys barely beat the Redskins, however, they did win the game. Consequently, I had to wear a Cowboys’ jersey during school on Friday, November 21st. Thank goodness the Cowboys don't have a fight song. So, I didn't have to sing. Pay-backs are rough.

Redskin Loss Hurts & Omen Holds True Again!

This past Monday night, "my" Washington Redskins were defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 23-6 on national TV. The Steelers stopped running back Clinton Portis and sacked quarterback Jason Campbell seven times. Due to this painful loss, my day-off on Tuesday was dreary and unproductive. Making the loss even worse, I had to wear a Steeler's jersey yesterday in order to pay-off my friendly wager with both Ms. Cheung and Mr. Spicher.

In the picture below, I am surrounded by the ELMS 6th graders who happen to be Steeler fans, too. Needless to say, they were very pleased with their team's victory this past week and enjoyed my discomfort wearing the black and gold.

Interesting Redskin Omen

For all but one of the last 17 presidential ballots, since 1937, a Redskins victory has signaled a win for the party currently in power and a loss has meant a change in the party occupying the White House.

As we now know, Senator Obama won the Presidential Election over rival Senator John McCain keeping this interesting omen alive.

Hail to the Redskins Sung by a Cowboy Fan?

Yes, it is true! Jeff Shilling, a self-described Cowboy Fan and proud father of an ELMS student, came to Elkridge Landing and sang Hail to the Redskins in front of the entire 7th grade lunch shift today. He shared his singing talents with us in order to pay-off his part of our friendly, football rivalry challenge.

Last week, Fire Marshall Shilling approached me at Back to School Night and offered a friendly challenge based on the outcome of the game between "my" powerful and always exciting Washington Redskins and "his" struggling Dallas Cowboys. The challenge to me consisted of having to wear a Cowboy's jersey if his team won; and if they lost, he would sing the Redskin fight song here at the school. Naturally, I accepted his challenge!

As the world now knows, the talented, strong and always exhilarating Redskins beat the Cowboys this past Sunday. Consequently, Mr. Shilling, who is a gentleman and a man of his word, delivered on his promise. Today, he came into the 7th grade lunch shift, with his son sitting in the audience, and belted out Hail to the Redskins for all to hear! His moving rendition of the fight song nearly choked me up and brought tears to my eyes.

As he was leaving, I asked him to reconsider his loyalty to the Cowboys and join the ranks of the growing Redskin Nation. He just laughed...but he did not say "no"! Who knows, the Redskins may have another convert soon.

I want to thank Mr. Shilling for making today's lunch shift so much fun! Without a doubt, we have some of the best parents in the world here in Elkridge! Go skins!