Sorry Joe

The second coming of Joe Gibbs to the Washington Redskins is over. The coach resigned yesterday after four seasons and two playoff appearances, which is a little short of what everybody expected when he replaced Steve Spurrier.

Gibbs cited his family and, in particular, one of his grandsons being treated for leukemia, as his reason for stepping down. The murder of Sean Taylor midway through the season probably didn't help much either. And the fact that they made the playoffs after that is pretty impressive, even for those of us who aren't Redskins fans.

So, Gibbs will head back to North Carolina and his NASCAR operation.

See ya later Joe. Hello Bill Cowher?

I tried to warn them ...

... I told my neighbor across the street, I told my friends at work:

"You are letting yourselves in for a huge letdown."

And so here it is. Planning Super Bowl parties before the first playoff game is just plain stupid. Did the Washington Redskins have a chance to win yesterday? Of course. Did they? Of course not.

This whole thing about Sean Taylor and destiny was just a bit much, and in the end may have come back and bitten the Redskins and their fans right in the arse.

And so the hangover begins. But hey, at least you haven't been waiting 100 years for a World Series title like the Chicago Cubs have.

My prayers were answered ...

... Final score: Seahawks 35, Redskins 14.

I think that's all that needs to be said ...

Living and loathing in Washington, D.C.

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate the Washington Redskins? No, well, here goes:

I REALLY, REALLY HATE THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS.

Lord help us today if they beat the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC wild-card playoff game. After they barely made the playoffs last week, people I work with and a certain friend who lives across the street were already planning Super Bowl parties.

Give me a fricking break.

OK, so they might be the "feel-good" story of the postseason, what with the murder of safety Sean Taylor and all. But just because they've won four in a row with a backup quarterback who's on the run of his life, I wouldn't start making plans for the Arizona desert just yet. Todd Collins is going to come crashing down to earth one of these days, and hopefully, today's that day.

The local TV stations have had nothing but "Battle in Seattle" stories all week. Election news? What's that?

This hatred isn't just a passing fancy either. While I've lived in the Washington, D.C. area since 1991, I've hated the Redskins for as long as I can remember. And it's because of their fans (a fraternity buddy of mine and the neighbor across the street would be best friends). Totally without a sense of reality where the team is concerned. If you aren't a Redskins fan around here, you are scorned -- people act as if you just asked for their first born. And some would give away their first born if it meant a Redskins victory.

Joe Gibbs? Your time has come and gone my man. Your second coming has been no salvation. But if you guys win today, you are probably assured of another season or two by little owner Danny Snyder.

And, their name is racist. Having some Cherokee blood running through my veins, I can say that.

Many of you are probably saying that these are rants of a bitter Chicago Bears fan. Who watched as his team got spanked by the Redskins in early December. Well, sure, but I'm not bitter. I'm just a fan of any team who plays the Redskins.

But here's a final caveat -- if the Redskins do win today, I can think of no better scenario than to see them go down to Dallas and get whupped by the Cowboys. All these Redskins, especially my neighbor, going into a major depression/funk.

Now THAT would be fun to watch. ... Update after the game.

Schottenheimer gets hosed

After five seasons, a 14-2 record and a playoff berth in 2006, Marty Schottenheimer is out as coach of the San Diego Chargers.

One month after saying he'd be back for the final year of his contract, the team basically said it was Schottenheimer's fault that offensive coordinator Cam Cameron left to become head coach of the Dolphins and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips left to become head coach of the Cowboys.

“That is absolutely unfair in my view,” Schottenheimer told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “We had no control over two guys who became head coaches in this league."

Team president Dean Spanos cited a "dysfunctional situation" between Schottenheimer and general manager A.J. Smith. Hogwash. The two just plain didn't get along, and because of that, things snowballed. What sucks for Schottenheimer is that all the coaching vacancies in the NFL are now filled, so Marty will be out of a job for at least a season -- unless he ends up on TV, where most ex-coaches seem to go.

It's not the first time Schottenheimer has been hosed. He was coach of the Washington Redskins in 2001, leading them to an 8-8 record -- after starting 3-8. When Redskins owner Danny Boy Snyder had a chance to hire Steve Spurrier, Schottenheimer took the fall.

And we all know how the Spurrier experiment worked out.

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