Haynesworth is simply pouting.  He doesn’t like the plans Coach Shanahan has for the defense, and the new 3-4 defense alignment which has him lining up in scrimmage in the nose tackle position.  Yes, he can be a thoroughly menacing player, but his frequent injuries left the Redskins wanting for a decent performance from their high priced player.   Now his attitude that he doesn’t need to work with his team has players, coaches and fans wonder if he will even show up for training camp at the end of the month.

Prima Donnas who seem to think themselves above the law are rampant.  Headlines of this running back or that wide receiver being found with a gun, driving drunk, or beating on their spouse are as common place as hurricanes and tornados at this time of year.  In fact, the similarities don’t end there.  A wayward football player stepping over to the wrong side of the law can seem like a hurricane to a team trying to focus and establish plays and routines for the coming season.  Just ask the Oakland Raiders how they feel about the former number one pick, JaMarcus Russell. 

Of course, there are always the “will he retire or won’t he” players like Brett Favre, who hasn’t yet decided what the 2010 season holds.  He did the same thing last year, leaving his team hanging while he weighed his options.  Will Brett play for one more year?  No one knows yet, maybe not even Brett himself, although one would think his intentions for the coming year are clear, at least in his own mind.  Chris Samuels, on the other hand, realised his career as an NFL player was at an end and announced his retirement.

The question is, however, are these players really “all that”?    Do they have the right to treat their fellow players, their coaching staff and their team owners with such disdain and disrespect?

Many of the fans say no.

In fact, I’ve heard it suggested more than once that this group of miscreants should be assigned to play on their own team.  Surely there are enough of them to make a full roster.  In fact, there might be an abundance of players for this particular team.  They could be assigned to Alcatraz Island, a location that would suit them perfectly.  Of course, I know the island is no longer used as a prison, however, the location itself is just too perfect to ignore.  They could be given the name the Alcatraz Asses and have the donkey as their team mascot and symbol.

Ridiculous? Well of course it is, but the behaviors of certain players is unfair to their teams, the owners and especially to the fans.  The owners deserve to have players who show up to play football as do the fans.

After a trade between the Broncos and Browns, it looks like Brady Quinn will be the next one challenging Kyle Orton for the starting QB job in Denver. The Broncos gave up fullback Peyton Hillis and a couple draft picks for Quinn, who was a first round pick in 2007.

Quinn’s career QB rating is a paltry 67.2, and he has had a difficult time adjusting to the NFL after being coddled and overrated at Notre Dame. In 14 games over 3 seasons, he has 10 TD passes and 9 interceptions. That’s less TD passes than embarrassing pictures… like the one above. And the ones below.

The highlight of his career thus far has been when a homosexual dating site thought highly enough of him to pirate his picture for their advertising.

We’ll see if he can do any better in Denver, where Jay Cutler and Kyle Orton both experienced some success. Well… more success than they each had with the Bears, at least. It’s a better situation for him than Cleveland, where apparently the signing of interception machine Jake Delhomme made Quinn expendable.

In my book, everyone’s a winner in this deal. The Browns get SOMETHING for Brady Quinn, the Broncos get a little QB competition for cheap, and Jake Delhomme gets the chance to embarrass himself once again on a terrible team. I’m sure he’ll get as many interceptions as he could possibly want, with the Browns.

Last time, it was Andrea McNulty, who seems a bit off her rocker, and her story didn’t exactly hold up. This time, the incident was reported immediately to the police, and they’ve already questioned the Steelers’ QB about it.

So exactly why is this wealthy NFL star resorting to such despicable behavior? Personally, I think the answer is clear. He has a strong sense of entitlement, as a professional athlete, and feels like he should be able to get any girl he wants. Unfortunately for him, he’s a hideously ugly man. Some ladies (most from Pittsburgh) will try to deny it, but there’s really no getting around it. Ben is an ugly man. So he probably gets turned down a lot more than his less ogre-ish counterparts. This leads to frustration on his part, and so he feels like the only way he’ll get what he wants is to take it.

I was willing to let the first one slide. Some women are just trying to take advantage of athletes, and these things happen. But when it happens again, you have to look at the guy a little differently. Even if he’s not out sexually assaulting women, he’s at least idiotic enough to put himself in terrible positions like this, and leave himself open to these allegations.

We’ll see what comes of this, but perhaps it’s time for the Steelers to lay down the law, and let him know that if he can’t keep his nose clean, they’ll find someone who can. There are a dozen other QB’s in the league who could do what he does… and they can do it without all the distractions of sexual assault charges.

Michael Vick will be picking up his Ed Block Courage Award on Tuesday. I won’t even go into my thoughts on the many reasons he doesn’t deserve the award, but I think it’s safe to say that most people with a functioning brain would agree with me on that. Going back to playing professional football in the face of a bunch of PETA hatred isn’t “courage”. It’s what every other ex-convict WISHES he could do. If you’re blessed with the athletic ability that Vick has, I would even go so far as to say it’s EASY. But anyway, enough of my ranting. Vick will be picking up the award on Tuesday, along with a member of each NFL team, and they’ve already had to change the rules for him, because crown reaction might be a little different from the norm. No more autographs, no more meet-and-greets… just another stuffy awards ceremony for guys who get accolades heaped on them on a nearly daily basis.

More interesting notes:

Shutdown Corner takes a look at some of the best free agents that could help your team this year, both on offense and defense.

Some of the latest rumors (nothing concrete here, folks): Julius Peppers and/or Darren Sproles to the Panthers, Peppers to the Redskins, Donovan McNabb to the Rams (in a trade), Adalius Thomas to the Dolphins, Darren Sharper to the Giants, every linebacker available to the Broncos. Once the bidding opens up, things are going to get interesting very quickly.

As exciting as free agency is, nothing compares to the NFL Draft. The post-combine hype right now is incredible. People are even paying $160 for a chance to get an autograph from future 2nd or 3rd round pick and NFL nobody Tim Tebow.

The always entertaining KSK gives us an interesting profile on one of my favorite prospects (for me to poop on), Jimmy Clausen.

Speaking of Clausen, the Redskins appear to be a little more interested in him than they should. I’m not saying Jason Campbell is the best thing since sliced bread, but when your offensive line is among the worst in the league, doesn’t it make sense to get some protection before you throw another QB to the wolves?

Brady Quinn is on the trading block again (or still)? I’m interested to see which team(s) will continue to think this guy has a future in the NFL. In case you can’t tell from my tone, I don’t think he does. He was overrated coming out of college, and makes up for his fragile mental makeup with far too much gym time than a QB should ever bother with. If he spent half as much time studying film as he did in the weight room, he’d be a lot better off.

Last but not least, Chad Ochocinco is the latest in a series of viral ads from Reebok. They’re… ummm… provocative, to say the least.

After nine years with the San Diego Chargers, LaDainian Tomlinson has been released by the team.  He was tearful as he bid good-bye to the place he has called home for almost a decade.  At 30 years of age, with several injuries slowing him, LT has become what many people view as a typical NFL veteran, bruised, battered and beat up.

But is his career over?

Rumors flew last week that Drew Brees was lobbying for LT to move to the New Orleans Saints, but honestly, the Saints don’t need him.  They showed last season that they have a very well-oiled machine when it comes to their offence.  They don’t have anyone they would want to sit, should they hire LT.  Plus there is the issue of the salary cap.  It just wouldn’t work for LT to go to New Orleans.

However, the Washington Redskins are building.  Coach Mike Shanahan has had more than a full-time job in this off season, negotiating, wrangling and strengthening his team.   He has made it his business to ensure he has the very best team he can possibly arrange heading to the 2010 pre-season and beyond.  Why not add another brick to that foundation?

LaDainian Tomlinson was instrumental in making the San Diego Chargers the strong team they are today.  Who can forget  2006, his best yet, when he was named MVP and set the record for single season touchdowns with 31.  Yes, he was injured in 2009.  However, he should be completely healthy heading into the 2010 season and the Redskins could definitely use a skilled running back.  Clinton Portis has said he is confident he has the number one spot for the ‘Skins, but a little competition for that spot could only be a good thing, in this writer’s opinion.  Ladell Betts was also injured last year, so both his and Portis health could be an issue.

Mike Shanahan has already said he and LT are acquainted and he keeps in touch, following LT’s career.  He has also already said he pays attention to what players do in the off season.  And he’ll be attending the Combine.  The Redskins hold the number 4 pick in the first round, meaning they should have the opportunity to make a strong pick.  They need a quarterback (more about that later) and could go with Colt McCoy if he is still available.  Also, Clemson’s CJ Stiller would be an excellent choice in the running back position, but may not be available by the 4th choice.  Shanahan will likely look at later rounds to find a quality RB, and honestly, so he should.  However, he could also look at LT.  Yes, it may be a stretch, especially given the injuries and that could be the single factor that eliminates him from Shanahan’s sites.  Why add another injured RB to the two he already has?  Surely a healthy younger RB would be a better choice?  Possibly, but a younger running back, fresh out of university will take time to groom.  He will have to adjust to the NFL playing style and it has been said so often that an incredible college player may only achieve MFL mediocrity.   In my opinion, adding LT to the Redskins’ roster and in effect, creating a competition for the starting position,  will only “encourage” the existing players to step up their efforts to be the very best, and that is something the Redskins definitely need.

Clinton sat down with Lindsay Czarniak for a multiple part interview to discuss Portis’ 2009 season and what to expect for 2010.

In 2009, the lack of respect Clinton had for then Head Coach, Jim Zorn, was evident.  He didn’t show up to practice, he openly criticized the team, the Coach and the Owners.  In the interview with Lindsay, he acknowledged that he wasn’t the best teammate on the roster last year, and vowed to be a different man in 2010.

He claims he always knew he could return to football after the season-ending head injury, that he could heal from the injury, but that the ”BS” was what made him have doubts if he would be back as a Redskin.

Regardless of what Clinton says, under Coach Mike Shanahan, he won’t have the opportunity to miss practice or to ”perform” off the field.  Shanahan isn’t Jim Zorn and if Portis doesn’t show for practice, or doesn’t give it 100% on the field, he will be called on the carpet, privately, in the Coach’s office.  If there isn’t a complete turnaround once asked, Shanahan won’t hesitate to bench him.  Coach Shanahan is well aware that there are a thousand other players out there who want to play football.  He pays attention to what players do in the offseason, especially the veteran players who have egos.  If he doesn’t feel a player is giving 100%, he isn’t going to play him.  He has already acknowledged he is well aware of Portis’ actions, on and off the field.

Portis seemed,  in the early part of the interview with Lindsay, to honestly want to man up and play a more dedicated game of football.  However, when Lindsey challenged him about being given some leeway as far as practices were concerned, Portis became instantly defensive, showing more of the argumentative Clinton Portis we are used to seeing and denying any kind of favoritism.   He then tried to backtrack a little, saying he is  a dedicated man and wants to prove exactly what he can do on the field.  And it seems he feels he still has a great deal to offer the team.

Part 2 of the interview aired last night, and featured more of Clinton at home.  However, he did say he is confident the starting running back position with the ‘Skins is his, and he won’t really have to compete for it.  He also stated that he realises he is getting older, and is on his way out, but when he actually leaves will be in his hands and not someone elses.

I truly mean no disrespect to Lindsey Czarniak.  I’ve seen some great interviews done by her, however, Clinton really isn’t all that changed and the interview wasn’t all that insightful.  He still has that confident air that could easily turn to arrogance.  The fact that he feels the running back position is his without really trying is a testament to that.  Additionally, he made no mention of any off-season training, something Mike Shanahan says he looks for in a dedicated player.  Instead, Clinton went hang-gliding in Brazil.

The Redskins are still negotiating, trading and looking to improve their roster in every way.  If I were Clinton, I’d be taking this a whole lot more seriously.

In 9 seasons, he rushed for 12,490 yards and 138 TD’s. That’s an average of 1,388 yards and 15 TD’s per season, for almost an entire decade. Let that sink in for a minute.

His 2006 season, in which he won the NFL MVP award, was one of the best we’ve ever seen from the running back position. 1,815 yards, 28 rushing TD’s, and he also had 3 receiving TD’s and 2 passing TD’s.

It’s actually pretty incredible to think that a few short years ago, we were wondering how long he could keep up his torrid pace, and whether or not he could challenge Emmitt Smith’s all-time rushing yardage record. He has just under 6,000 yards to go, and if he can land himself in the right system for the next 5 years or so, I still think there’s an outside chance that he could pull it off.

His QB, Philip Rivers, spoke extremely highly of LT in his departure:

“I’ve got a lot of great memories. That’s what I wanted to tell him today. I had the best view in the house — some of the awesomest runs he made. It was also the friendship and the practices and the bus rides that you really remember. What LT’s meant to this town and this team in nine years — the impact he’s had both on and off the field — you may never see again.”

We’ll keep an eye on him, and we’ll see how he fares in his next destination. But no matter what happens, he’s already the best that San Diego has ever seen, and maybe the best they’ll EVER see.

You can try to tell me that this Bacon Lombardi trophy isn’t awesome, but you’d be wrong. This is pretty much the greatest thing ever. It’s like the real Lombardi Trophy, except it takes a lot less blood, sweat and tears, and it tastes way better. Thanks to Intentional Foul for bringing this piece of amazingness to our attention.

Other goodness:

Mandatory viewing: “I’m From The Old School” featuring Mike Singletary [Sports Untapped]

Darrell Green is still faster than you, running a 4.43 forty, at age 50. [Fanhouse]

Drew Brees will now have the bullseye on his back, after winning the Super Bowl. [Shutdown Corner]

Drunk driver Donte Stallworth has found a home with the Ravens [Cleveland.com]

Shawne Merriman and Tila Tequila have settled their little dispute. Unfortunately, she kinda won. [PFT]

Speaking of the Chargers, they’re looking to trade Antonio Cromartie. Who wants him? [Dueling Couches]

There’s nothing awesome about the Steelers, but this ‘Burgh fan at Mardi Gras amuses me. [PSAMP]

Enjoy your week, everyone.

The 2009 team couldn’t seem to buy, steal or blackmail a win, and the only positive, for me at least, was the game against the eventual Super Bowl winners, the New Orleans Saints.

At least in that game, the Redskins showed they actually know how to play football and held the lead right up until the last seconds of the game, when their then kicker, Shaun Suisham, missed a 23 yard field goal.  Unbelievably, he missed it, his first miss from less than 30 yards, and it cost the Redskins the game.  Not so much because the Saints scored, but because his fellow players were in shock and the momentum they had had stopped as if it was hit by a train.   They had played with the kind of heart that kept them in front of the number one team in the league at the time and bang, it was gone.  Not only were the players stunned, Redskins fans everyway were struck dumb, and many accused Suisham of choking on purpose.  Almost immediately he was booted out of town and traded to the Dallas Cowboys.  There, of course, he made no such further errors.

The Redskins now have Graham Gano as their primary kicker and have in fact, only signed Medlock to a futures contract, but they’ve made an excellent choice with Justin.

He is a US native, from Fremont, CA but here’s my take.

Justin has spent some time since college at UCLA with the Kansas City Chiefs and the St. Louis Rams, but most recenly Justin had a lesson in humility.  That’s right, he played in the CFL, most recently for the Toronto Argonauts.  To many NFL fans, that’s a death sentence, but in reality, as a Canadian, and a fan of the CFL as well, my opinion is that sometimes a stint in the CFL can be just what a major league NFL football player needs.

The Argonauts were really the Redskins of the CFL in 2009, sucking in mostly every game they played.  They were nowhere near the playoffs but their one bright spot may just have been Justin Medlock.  He succeeded on 40 of his 46 Field Goal attempts and was successful on every single extra point attempt, as few as there were.  In fact, he came close to tying the record for the number of field goals scored in a single game, falling short only by one, with seven.

What does Justin mean for the Redskins?  Well, he played for a team that didn’t do too well, and he’s coming to a team that didn’t do too well.  He didn’t let the lack of success get him down, just kept on doing the job he was hired to do, and doing it well.  I can only see him continuing to do the same for the Redskins, and that is exactly what they need.  The morale in the Redskins’ dressing room and the trash talking of the coaching staff and owners was just as big a story as their performance on the field in 2009 and they want to avoid a repeat of that in 2010.  A new head coach will help, as will having positive influence in their team members.  Justin may be just one of those positive influences.

What’s next? I don’t know, but I’m sure Shanahan has a plan.