It’s so easy to dislike the Redskins
Maybe
it would be better if we just didn’t think too much about the Washington Redskins, per se.
Yes, hate-watching them and revelling in their failure is both enjoyable and reliable. I mean, the Redskins’ failure is so delicious that most reasonable people could spread it out across the carpet or sprinkle it on the bed and just roll in it, luxuriating, giggling with delight. There is no football failure as beautiful as the failure of the Washington Redskins, the team that once sued a 72-year-old grandmother into bankruptcy for asking to give up her season tickets for a season or two during the economic downturn.
But maybe, like bingedrinking while shovelling stadium nachos down your gullet, thinking about Washington is not good for us.
Maybe we are expending empty hate-calories on the potential ruination of a oncethrilling quarterback (which may be the Redskins’ fault) and a wide receiver, Pierre Garcon, who is playing hurt. It’s not the players’ fault they play for this team.
The franchise, however would be worth expending those empty calories on even if the name wasn’t blatantly racist.
But the tide is turning, and it feels like it’s speeding up. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is incredibly careful when he talks, but in September he said, “If one person’s offended, we have to listen.” It’s a nice distraction from Washington’s 1-4 start, and its enduring ineptitude. The Redskins have won two playoff games since 1993 — Cleveland and Buffalo, two groaning beacons of sadness, have each won one — and sit tied for second on the list of longest droughts since reaching a conference championship game. The Redskins are embarrassing for a lot of reasons, even if the name and the owner still rank above the other ones.
Wait — maybe that, along with the desperate need to continue printing money off the brand, is behind Snyder’s resistance to the idea: If not for their name, the Redskins wouldn’t really matter at all.
Nah, it’s probably the money thing.
Last week, this space went 7-7-1; that makes for a 25-181 record over the past three weeks, and this space is still five games under .500. Those first three weeks were Dan Snyder-esque, though at least, unlike Dan Snyder’s Redskins in 2006, this space did not attempt to sell expired peanuts from a defunct airline.
As always, the lines could change. The Picks: Chicago (pick) at Washington My favourite name suggestion: The Washington Americans. It was mentioned by Kevin Gover, the director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, to USA Today. “If you called them the Americans and had a contemporary Native image, that’s inclusive,” he said. Do it. Pick Chicago Buffalo (+7) at Miami Matt Flynn was signed by the Bills this week after yet another quarterback got hurt — Thad Lewis, who wasn’t bad at all, after coming off the practice squad — which is a reminder that Seattle and Oakland basically paid him $14.5-million US for that one great start for Green Bay. Keep living that dream, Matt. Pick Buffalo Dallas (+3) at Philadelphia The NFL has denied it is considering Thursday night doubleheaders, except Cowboys owner and NFL Network committee chair Jerry Jones told Sports Business Journal the league is talking about Thursday night doubleheaders. He tried to backtrack, even as the Eagles’ president confirmed it. Pick Dallas San Francisco (-3.5) at Tennessee When Arizona defensive lineman Calais Campbell went down with a neck injury that caused temporary numbness last week, San Francisco fans decided to do the wave, even as 49ers players tried to silence them. And to think, some people compare this sport to the gladiators. Pick San Francisco Houston (+6.5) at Kansas City The Texans were so awful last week it could have been a tribute to local Senator Ted Cruz, who recently cost Americans about $24-billion US. This week Case Keenum will start at quarterback after Matt Schaub was hurt. Keenum went undrafted, and has never thrown an NFL pass, but still, he can’t be worse than Ted Cruz. Pick Kansas City Denver (-7) at Indianapolis So Colts owner Jim Irsay gives an interview where he’s all: ‘We let Peyton go because stats are great but we wanted more Super Bowls,’ and tapped his championship ring. And Broncos coach John Fox is all: ‘Total cheap shot at a guy who gave you so much.’ Conclusion: Jim Irsay’s a bit of an ass. Pick Indianapolis The rest (Picks indicated with asterisk) Tampa Bay* (+7) at Atlanta Minnesota* (+3.5) at N.Y. Giants
New England* (-3) at N.Y. Jets
San Diego* (-7.5) at Jacksonville St. Louis* (+6) at Carolina Cincinnati (+2.5) at Detroit* Baltimore* (+1) at Pittsburgh
Cleveland* (+10) at Green Bay
Last week 7-7-1 |Season 42-47-3