Roots

This blog is getting back to it's roots. This year begins an emphasis on my hobby that is close to my heart. I have been involved in Fantasy Football for the better part of two decades. Basically, you pick players that you think will have the best performances on game day. Believe me, easier said than done. 

In my first installment, here are couple of players that you can keep an eye on that you can get late in your draft (yes, we do draft like in real life):

Paraphrasing Charles Barkley, any knucklehead can draft great picks in the first two to three rounds. Being the glass half full guy that I try to be, the “angel” is in the details. Depending on your season strategy, many championships are won in what I call the “grind” or 4^th quarter rounds (12 – 16). In my world, I pick my kicker in the last round. I will not call them lottery picks. These are guys that can “come out of nowhere” to help your roster at crucial times during the season.

James Washington (WR) – Steelers: The 60^th player picked in this year’s draft from Oklahoma State had his coming out party this past week against the Packers, catching five balls for 114 yards and two TD’s. While most people raved about his performance, head coach Mike Tomlin was a matter of factly.

“He didn’t do anything in the stadium that we hadn’t see on the practice fields in Latrobe," Tomlin said. "So that’s a good sign."

From day one, he has played all three WR positions. For his efforts, Washington was promoted to the second team this past week. It also doesn’t hurt that Eli Rodgers has been suspended for the first game by the league.  

Virgil Green (TE) – Chargers: I know, I know. Green, who came over from the Broncos, is actually the starter for Chargers going into camp. But all he has heard in camp is about his backup…future Hall-of-Famer Antonio Gates. But the former seventh round draft pick with 71 career catches takes it all in stride.

“Nobody really gave me a chance back then,” Green said. “They said every year, ‘This guy’s getting cut. This guy’s getting cut.’ I don’t pay attention to those things. I never have and won’t start now.”

While he has made his bones as a blocking tight end, head coach Anthony Lynn thinks that he can make the transition to the greyhound Charger offense.

“Any tight end that can block in the National Football League can get a reputation as a blocker just because they can block, but he can also catch,” Lynn said of Green. “You’ll see.”

Reasons I like this pickup: The offense. The quarterback. Everybody eats.

Pride

Now don't get me wrong. While my DNA flows with the Washington football franchise through my veins, I remain a strong member of Raven Nation. Don't try to figure it out because it is complicated. Having said that, while I enjoy every second of Baltimore's playoff runs, it's still not the same as having your own. Regardless of the sport. This is in part being called out by my boyz to admit where my allegiance really lies (at the end of the day). Despite my obvious loyalty, they force my to admit my root loyalty for the Washington franchise...at the end of the day. Despite this, they understand and respect me for it.

My dilemma was that we had no champions in the four major sports. Wizards...meh. Football team...working. My Nationals....one step forward, one step backward. All generally winning teams. During the regular season. And yes, this includes my Capitals. Until yesterday.

Finally, I have a championship team to call my own. No more being perceived as a carpetbagger with no successful team to call my own. For the first time in more than 20 years, winning has truly come back to the Nation's capital. My home. And we did it the Smith Barney way.

And yes, I'm the fan who admits that it is all about championships. Otherwise, like Sam Rothstein from the movie Casino says, "What's the point?"

So excuse me while I bask in the afterglow of winning and success and enjoy this moment of pure DC pride. Who knows when it will come back.

Next

Going into last night's game 7 matchup with my Washington Capitals against the Tampa Bay Lightning for the right to play for the Stanley Cup, it was already in my top five sporting events in my sports fandom. It already ranks up with the Washington football franchise title run in '83 (see Riggo run) and the Bullets fever title run in 1978. I still remember the crowd chant of "...EEEEEEEEE..." for Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes and his turn around jump shot and the outlet passes of fellow HOF Wes Unseld.

The reason this game was such a big deal is the hope that it would end a 20 (!) year drought of not getting to the big dance. Back in 1998, the Caps played in the MCI Center, the first year of it's existence. Even with that, we were not the hockey town that we are trying to be now. It was not a surprise that we were swept by the then powerhouse Detroit Red Wings.

But to paraphrase, as the song goes (for most of you, you will probably have to Google it) baby look at us now. In looking at the game last night, they showed a scene in which our home arena (now called Capital One) was packed with Caps fans wearing our red jerseys, better known to us as "rockin the red". You going to hearing that a lot in the next few days.

The funny thing is, the game was played in Tampa.

After the game, the fans spilled out onto the streets. And I'm sorry, we did act like we had not been here before. Because we hadn't. And this was just for winning the Eastern Conference championship. I mean, everybody, of all color and creeds are excited like the Pointer Sisters. And we all like it.

As for the game, it seemed like a formality. It's rare that I get it right about my analysis for victory. Simply put, I had just three words: Ovi, Holtsby. Leadership. Ovi set the tone by scoring game's first goal from his office and Holtsby stopped 29 shots en route to his second consecutive shutout.

I admit, I would be lying to you if I said it would be alright if we didn't win the Cup. That the season was great enough as it is. So I won't. In my best Chef Curry impersonation...Let's Goooooooo!!

Game 7

Don't have much to say except that tonight's game easily goes into my top 5 sporting events in my sports fan life (which include the Washington football franchise SB win with the Riggo run and the Bullets title run back in high school --EEEEEEE!!!). I got 3 words: Ovi, Holtby. Leadership.

Let's go.

My Mad Picks

Here are my world famous picks for the 2018 version of March Madness. As always, my picks are for entertainment purposes only, so please no wagering.

South: #1 seed Virginia will have it's hands full with teams like Kentucky, Shaka Smart led Texas and Arizona. My high school is represented by frosh guard Chris Lykes from sleeper school Miami of Florida. My pick for this region: Arizona.

West: This is the funky town that Lipps Inc.was talking about in their hit song. Really hoping for the Jesuit school matchup between Gonzaga and Xavier that appeals to my prep school roots. Really liking Michigan in this bracket if the layoff didn't throw them off. But at the end of the day, my pick for this region are the guys that are always in the conversation: North Carolina.

Midwest: As we come back through the Midwest, a couple of my favorite teams are in this bracket. If top seeded Kansas survives the early scare, it could lead to a funky final eight matchup against either Michigan State or Duke. This was the bracket that I made my toughest decision for the pick. While my head says Kansas, I admit I'm a Izzo man when it comes to tournament time. His teams always seem to be ready this time of year. Picking the Spartans.

West: Probably the most physical bracket. Seems like the teams in this bracket are teams that nobody else wanted. Might be the year of my sleeper pick, even though they are not a sleeper to followers of college hoops. So don't be shocked (like what I did there?) if I'm picking Wichita State to come out of the East.

Picking a Carolina/Michigan St. final and picking the Spartans to win it. There goes my soft spot again.

Destiny

Destiny is a funny thing. No matter how circumstances may try to impact it, destiny...happens. Take the case of Hall of Famer basketball player Don Barksdale.

While growing up in Oakland California, Barksdale did not make his varsity basketball team at Berkley High School because his high school coach said that the quota of one black player on the team had been met.

After graduation, he played pick-up basketball and was discovered by junior college Marin Junior College in San Francisco. That led to him getting a scholarship at UCLA. Entering his senior season, he wasn't sure whether he wanted to play. Then he got a visit from an Bruin alum. You may recognize the name: Jackie Robinson. "He told me I might have to go through the same thing [he did],'' Barksdale said in 1991. "It was Jackie who convinced me I could take whatever they had to dish out. I could take it so long as I could play.''

The 6' - 6" center led UCLA to the Pacific Coast Conference Championship. That same year (1947), he became the first African-American to become a consensus All-American.

For you sports readers with eagle eyes, 1947 was a notable year in sports for other reasons.

The following year, Barksdale became the first African-American to make an Olympic basketball roster. That team won the gold in London. Barksdale spoke about hard it was to roster...for the wrong reasons:

"This guy fought, fought and fought", Barksdale said, "and I think finally the coach of the Phillips 66ers Omar Browning said, 'That son of a bitch is the best basketball player in the country outside of Bob Kurland, so I don't know how we can turn him down.' So they picked me, but Maggiora said he went through holy hell for it – closed-door meetings and begging."

As the commercial goes, but wait, there's more. As a member of the Baltimore Bullets, he became the first African-American to play in the NBA All-Star Game. For his career, he averaged 11 points and eight rebounds.

So destiny is like the words of one of my rap tunes...love it, hate it but you can't ignore it.