Blogs With Balls Radio - Espiode 30

We talk this week with Washington Redskins’ Director of Responsibility (real title), and former 4-time Pro Bowler Ken Harvey. In his Director role with the team, Harvey is working with Diageo’s anti-underage drinking campaign, We Don’t Serve Teens.

Blogs with Balls Show - Episode 30 by Blogs with Balls

Photo by Karen Ballard/Redux 1/19/10 via Hogs Heaven

We talk a bit about his involvement with the program and other philanthropic endeavors, including space exploration and education.

I commend Ken for his work with the Washington Post’s video segment that he hosted, Word on the Street with Ken Harvey, noting it was very blog-ish and perhaps a bit ahead of it’s time event though it wasn’t that long ago.

From there we hit on the changing role of media in sports. Ken talks about the lack of a filter and pros and cons of living in a world where “Any one at any time has a chance to create media and be a part of media;” and players having direct, instant access to fans, “Not everything that could be said needs to be said.”

Assessing Mike Shanahan’s handling of the team in his first year comes down to “Do you want to try to win right now or do you want to build for the future?” By asserting his authority, Harvey guesses the coach is pushing to the former. He appreciates, however, the sense of competition Shanahan is building. He noted that “people were becoming heroes and superstars without ever producing anything.” Grade wise for Shanahan, as a plan moving forward B/B+; the way he handled McNabb C/C+.

Harvey addresses the current culture and environment as brought about by the Daniel Snyder regime, “Winning changes everything. You have a whole generation coming up who hasn’t experienced the Super Bowls.”

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McNabb Supports Agent...Or Does He?

"When I read the whole thing, I didn't see nothing wrong with it," McNabb said on his paid weekly radio show on ESPN 980.

McNabb, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in speech communication from Syracuse University, is surely cognizant of his use of a double negative.

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Jason Sehorn Part II: On the NFC East, the NFL Judicial System and More

Yesterday, Jason Sehorn was vocal about the systematic and seemingly unsolvable problem of agents with their claws in potential NFL first and second rounders on college campuses.

Today, Sehorn pulls no punches as he talks about the hypocrisy of the NFL's justice system with Goodell's office being judge jury and executioner, the softening of the game that was brought about by the crackdown on big hits, the potential of Jerry Jones to morph into Al Davis and the overall absurdity of the Washington Redskins.

"The best thing going for the Giants and the Eagles right now is Jerry Jones and Daniel Snyder."

On Mike Shanahan's handling of Donovan McNabb:

"Disastrous. In my 10 years in the NFL, I never once played in a game where the starting quarterback was removed in the 2 minute offense when you could still win the football game...

Leave Albert Haynesworth in the picture and you see a philosophy here of 'if you're not my guy, this is how I'm gonna treat you.'

...And what they've done to Donovan McNabb, he's clearly not Mike's guy...he's not gonna be there after this year."

On crack down on hard hits: "Ridiculous. You can't arbitrarily decide after week four and 3 big hits that you're going to change the way we analyze this...When you appeal these fines do you know who you appeal them to? Right back to the league office. The people who fined you."

On TOcho: "I don't get it. At what point do you become a personality and not a football player any more? To each his own."




This week, Sehorn joined Keyshawn Johnson is in NYC promoting Captain Morgan's 1 Million Poses. For more information visit Facebook.com/CaptainMorganUSA.

For Part I of the Sehorn interview, click here.

Check out talk with Keyshawn here.

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"FedEx has been very desirous that Donovan McNabb do well..."

How else do you explain this other than flat-out insulting? This wasn't for the game, this was for the weekend. They awarded LT the Outstanding Ground Performance.

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Authentic McNabb Jersey Taking Up Space on So. Jersey Thrift Store Rack

They can't even seem to give this away to homeless Eagles fans.

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Donovan McNabb Just Can't Let Go of the Past

Skins fan @cmatthews58 shot me a note imploring me to take a look at my favorite ex-Eagles quarterback's official website, donovanmcnabb.com: "Quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles."

For someone who "earned" a degree from the prestigious SI Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse, the quarterback seemingly can't be less in tune with media - new or old.


It's not like the site isn't updated (see above news and blog sections).

It's just that Andy Reid isn't around anymore to coddle him through it.

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In Addressing McNabb Trade, Former Eagle Takes Shot at the Ol' Gunslinger

Since announcing his candidacy for US Congress, former All Pro lineman Jon Runyan is asked as many football questions by reporters as political ones.

With the recent Donovan McNabb trade, however, there was finally something good (football-wise) to ask the former Eagle about.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right, now, what's the story about Donovan McNabb? You played with him with the Eagles. Why the Redskins? What's that going to do for the Redskins and what's that going to do to the Eagles?

RUNYAN: Well, I think the Eagles were in a unique situation where they actually had three starting quarterbacks on the roster, so they were able to shop, you know, each one individually, and it ultimately ended up being Donovan going to Washington, which surprised a lot of people around here, especially the fact that they're playing in the division twice a year. So it's going to be an interesting thing. I mean, they have traditionally in Washington, they have a great defense. You know, if they can come out and put together some -- put -- you know, put together some scoring drives and put points on the board, they're a very formidable team here in the NFC East.

VAN SUSTEREN: You know, it's a little like having Donovan McNabb go from the Eagles to the Redskins because it's the same -- they're going to play against each other -- it's a little bit like Brett Favre going from the Packers to the Vikings. You know, they're both incredible rivalries, and now they've -- they've lost -- they've now lost or given away or however you want to describe it, their quarterbacks.

RUNYAN: Yes, but minus the "I want to play, I want to retire, I want to play, I want to retire" fiasco.

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Fight for Old DC: Another Former Athlete Becomes GOP Political Hopeful

Over the past few months, we've heard that former Steeler/Bill Jay Riemersma is running for Congress in MI, current Charger and former Eagle Jon Runyan is angling to take a House seat in South Jersey, and former NBA journeyman center Chris Dudley wants to be the next governor of the great state of Oregon.

Add to that list former Redskin tight end Clint Didier.

From the Seattle Times:

Clint Didier, who won two Super Bowl rings as a tight end for the Washington Redskins, officially announced his candidacy for Patty Murray's Senate seat Sunday. Didier is a relative latecomer to the game, joining at least four other Republicans who are trying to unseat the Democratic incumbent.

Didier, a Pasco businessman who calls himself "not a practiced politician," almost certainly is the only candidate to cite former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs' book, Game Plan for Life, as an inspiration.

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Wealthy & Influential Heath Shuler Had Many Bad Games in the NFL

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is attacking former Redskins bust and current Democrat Congressman Heath Shuler over a Tennessee Valley Authority report that Shuler and staff were allegedly currying favor for a company he partially owns in land dealings, in which "Wealthy and influential people seeking private lakeshore access to the Tennessee Valley Authority's 11,000 miles of shoreline on the Tennessee River system appeared to receive preferential treatment."

However, "A report issued Monday by the TVA Office of Inspector General was critical of a boat access exchange between the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Cove at Blackberry Ridge, which is partially owned by Rep. Heath Shuler. It found "no evidence, however, that either Shuler or his representatives used Shuler’s position as a United States Congressman to pressure TVA to grant Blackberry water access."

A NRCC press release quotes the Asheville Times-News:

"Congressman Shuler’s position as a member of Congress sitting on a committee with oversight responsibilities for TVA raised the specter of preferential treatment when he applied for his permit from TVA on a project with millions of his own personal money on the line,” the reports said.

And the AP:

"The inspector general said it didn't help that Shuler's representatives kept "dropping Shuler's name with TVA employees."

Of course, no Shuler political news would be complete without the obligatory pigskin reference:

Ken Spain, NRCC Communications Director: "It may have been easy for him to flee the bright lights in the locker room after a bad game in the NFL, but as a public official it’s his responsibility to come clean with North Carolina families."

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Have You Gotten Your BlogsWithBalls Tickets Yet?

Former NY Giant Bruce Smith Headlining Jaws' 25th Anniversary Golf Tournament

Lord knows how much film Jaws had to watch to pull out this factoid:

Click to enlarge

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Have You Gotten Your BlogsWithBalls Tickets Yet?

Heath Shuler: Pain in the Ass

I will make you squirm little donkeys.

Cockeyed former Tennessee Vol/Redskin/Raider/Saint quarterback Heath Shuler, among the House's most moderate-to-conservative Democrats, called out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Leader Harry Reid for what he calls their "failed" bipartisanship on the pending stimulus package.

As quoted in Glenn Thrush's Politico Blog:

"In order for us to get the confidence of America, it has to be done in a bipartisan way. We have to have everyone — Democrats and Republicans standing on the stage with the administration — saying, 'We got something done that was efficient, stimulative and timely.' I truly feel that's where maybe House leadership and Senate leadership have really failed."

Thrush speculates that this is an effort by Shuler to inoculate himself from the liberal, left-wing of the party to position himself for the 2010 NC US Senate race.

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Cooley Clarifies

A little over a week ago, we tried to dissect the underside of a notebook page posted by Chris Cooley on his blog.

While we were confident that we were dead-on in our analysis that it was the Redskins TE's tally on the bizarre antics of teammate Clinton Portis, Cooley corrected us:

"Sorry guys, the tally marks are for a running eucher poker game between Todd Yoder and myself. Funny stuff though."

Mystery solved.

We at HHR apologize for the misinformation.

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Cooley's Back Side

For kicks, the technicians at HHR took the notebook picture we re-posted below from Chris Cooley's blog, flipped it horizontal and played with the brightness, contrast and curves and ran it through a series of x-ray machines trying to read what was on the other side of the paper.

As you can see he is tallying a series of counts that to the untrained eye, on the surface, look indecipherable.

What became obvious to us, though you can't tell on a computer monitor, is that he is counting several different references/actions made in the meeting by teammate Clinton Portis.

We labeled each series and below will provide a descriptor.

A. Quotes former first lady Dolly Madison.
B. "Yes we can" references.
C. Commentary on final season of The Wire.
D. References Fraggle Rock.
E. Rolls eyes at Jim Zorn.
F. Smells fingers.
G. Screams "Who-Aaah" like Pacino.
H. Lights something small on fire.
I. Uses phrase "irregardless."
J. Stops breathing.
K. Sniffs Sharpie.
L. Refuses to use consonants.

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Chris Cooley Shares Notebook Pictures; Keeps Privates Private

Blogger/athlete Chris Cooley again decided to let his readers catch a glimpse of Redskin strategery, posting pictures of his notbook from the Eagles & Ravens games. Luckily he left his privates private this time around.

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THAT's RIGHT! REDSKINS!

Laron Landry 3-0 F'n these bitches up!

Why this is online, and how I found it are beyond me.



But little did I know that these broads also have some athletic talent to go along with their ear-shattering fan cackling. They are "Flip Cup Champs" to boot.

Skins honor their thug, Giants move on without theirs

Almost a year ago today I wrote: "As the sports world spends the day mourning the passing of Sean Taylor, my family and I spent the holiday weekend mourning the passing of a close relative, a WWII veteran and great man in our lives. While our idolization of sports stars and celebrities helps us to escape from the reality of our lives, in honesty, it is just that - a fantasy."

This morning, Outside the Lines, in the wake of the latest Plax Burress fiasco, featured its look on "Athletes and Guns."

Ironically, among the incidents mentioned in the ESPN piece was the 2005 Sean Taylor gun charges.

Hours later the Washington Redskins, as so many in the nation's capital are fond of doing, re-wrote history. More specifically, they propagated that aformentioned fantasy, as they inducted the gun-waving, sobriety test-failing, Michael Pittman-spitting Meast into their Ring of Honor, which "which honors those who have made distinguished contributions to the team."

Sure, it's a shame that a man who rarely flaunted his wealth, had few enemies and hung with a pristine crowd was the target of a totally "random" robbery.

But does untimely death negate every bad deed, every low-class action and socially harmful behavior a person commits enough to create the bullshit assertion that this person deserves to be honored in the most reverant way the team has?

What does that say about the organization and the fans that support it?

Mourn Taylor, don't honor his deeds.

Terrell Being Terrell

TO Making It Rain.

As we near the end of the half time show, the Sunday Night Football crew just alluded to the post-game comments made by Terrell Owens following the Cowboys loss to the Skins. TO was none to happy about his self-perceived lack of involvement in the offense despite getting 1/3 of the team's offensive plays.

According to the Dallas Morning News' Dallas Cowboys Blog, the Cowboys ran 58 offensive plays, threw to TO 18 times and let Owens run it twice.

That's not enough for the world's greatest teammate. When asked if the ball was thrown his way often enough, Owens said:

"I would say no. I'm a competitor, and I want the ball.

"There were some opportunities there, and there were some opportunities there where they were holding and the refs just didn't call it. You can't blame the refs; we just didn't make the plays.

"Everybody recognized that I wasn't really getting the ball in the first half," Owens said. "I'm pretty sure everybody watching the game recognized it, people in the stands recognized it, I think my team recognized it. I didn't quit. I kept fighting and trying to running my routes and trying to get open."

Whu Want Super Tee-Bagg?

LOL!

Spurrier Looking to Employ 2002 Fun & Gun vs. #2 Georgia

Here's a CFB story only Redskins fans could truly appreciate...

From the AP/Sporting News:

Steve Spurrier's newest strategy for No. 2 Georgia? Two quarterbacks and a bunch of young receivers [emphasis mine].

South Carolina's coach ended much of the mystery as to which of the quarterbacks would start against the Bulldogs (2-0). He said he would probably play both Tommy Beecher and Chris Smelley.

I think the Palmetto Scoop's Adam Fogle lays out just how optimistic this strategy is:

The Head Ball Coach announced today that he would go to a two-quarterback system against the University of Georgia this weekend, hoping to rebound from a catastrophic loss to Vanderbilt. Those two quarterbacks will be Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher, who have combined for a woeful six interceptions in two games.

Should we be surprised? This is the same ball coach that swore an NFL team would be just fine going to the mat with the 3-headed monster of Danny Wuerfell, Shane Matthews and Patrick Ramsey. We all know how that little experiment turned out.

Hang on tight, Cock fans. You're in for a helluva ride.

Sports Figures at RNC

Turns out I wasn't the only high profile sports figure at the RNC Convention last week. Aside from avid outdoors-woman/sportscaster/high school hoops standout, Sarah Palin, I observed the following...

• Church of LDS member and former Jazz/T-Wolf Thurl Baily gave the opening night invocation.

AP Photo

HHR Photo

• Olympians Ryan Berube, Mitch Gaylord, Brittany Hayes, Barbra Higgins, Larsen Jensen, Elle Logan, Marcus McElhenney and John Naber lead the Thursday night Pledge of Allegiance.
• Mother of former Seattle Seahawks running back Mack Strong, Rose Strong, was a Washington State alternate delegate.
• Miles McPherson, pastor of The Rock Church and former San Diego SuperCharger, spoke on the topic of "Character."
  
• NFL Hall of Fame Coach & NASCAR owner Joe Gibbs gave a closing night prime-time-ish speech.