Looks like the Redskins will remain the Redskins as long as Dan Snyder has his way. He told USA Today Friday morning that he would “never” change the name of his NFL team.
“It’s that simple. NEVER—you can use caps,” Snyder told the publication.
The development comes amid continued criticism that the moniker is a racial slur against Native Americans. Just last week, at-large DC Council member David Grosso, an Independent, introduced a non-binding resolution calling on Snyder to drop the team’s name, which Grosso described as “historically racist and derogatory.”
Grosso suggested that Snyder change the team’s name to the Washington Redtails, a reference to the famous World War II-era African-American pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen.
In the USA Today story, Snyder offered a firm response to critics of the team’s name:
“We will never change the name of the team. . . . As a lifelong Redskins fan, and I think that the Redskins fans understand the great tradition and what it’s all about and what it means, so we feel pretty fortunate to be just working on next season.”
Before the Nats faced down the Detroit Tigers, Screech appeared in his rain gear. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
The downside of a rain delay at Nats Park is, obviously, the rain delay. But there’s also an upside: the chance to see team mascot Screech in his foul-weather gear.
Wednesday night’s historic 3-1 win against the Detroit Tigers—historic because it was the first time ever that the Nats beat Detroit—got off to a late start due to a steady rain. Fans used the hour stall to take advantage of $1 hot dogs and $5 beer. Once the field crew began to roll back the diamond’s rain cover, Screech appeared in a fetching yellow raincoat and hat, with matching umbrella. This fashion statement turned heads and distracted from the drizzle that lasted into the early innings. Just screeching in the rain, perhaps? But soon enough the sky cleared, and the game went the Nats way, including a Denard Span triple, Bryce Harper’s tenth home run this season, and strong pitching from Jordan Zimmermann. Despite the rain and chill, the turnout was strong at 34,893.
The win wasn’t the only gift from the Nationals to fans on Wednesday. After an outcry, they reversed a new, stricter rain-delay policy that was announced after Tuesday night’s game against Detroit was postponed to Thursday. Without going into all the details, here’s what you need to know, as announced by the team: “The Washington Nationals wish to announce that all fans who purchased tickets for Tuesday night’s postponed game with the Detroit Tigers will be guaranteed their same seats for Thursday’s scheduled 4:05 PM makeup game, or will retain the option to exchange their tickets—as they have in the past—for any remaining regular or value home game during the 2013 season, subject to availability.”
At-large DC City Council member David Grosso, an Independent, made a splash earlier this week when he announced plans to introduce a non-binding resolution calling on Redskins owner Dan Snyder to scrap the team’s moniker, which critics have long considered an offensive racial slur. As a replacement, Grosso suggested the Washington Redtails—a reference the Tuskegee Airmen, a celebrated team of African-American pilots who served during World War II.
Jason Collins’s coming out as the first active, male professional athlete has implications far beyond Washington, but it’s clear that playing for the Wizards in the nation’s capital had an effect on his decision.
“When I was traded to the Wizards,” Collins wrote in his Sports Illustrated essay, “the political significance of coming out sunk in. I was ready to open up to the press, but I had to wait until the season was over.”
And as soon as Collins opened up, the political world followed sounded off.
“I’m proud to call Jason Collins a friend,”
Bill Clinton tweeted (one of only eight times he has tweeted), before he issued a full statement.
Chelsea Clinton followed her father and congratulated Collins “for having the strength and courage to be the first openly gay player in the NBA.”
New Hampshire senator
Jeanne Shaheen congratulated Collins via Twitter for taking a courageous step “in the movement for
LGBT equality.”
And from Nancy Pelosi’s Twitter feed: “Your courage proves why every American deserves our respect no matter who they love.”
Collins, 34, came to the Wizards this season in a trade with the Boston Celtics. He was a journeyman at that point in his career, having played for five teams since he started his NBA career in 2001. A defensive specialist, he played about ten minutes a game and didn’t score much.
But just being in Washington helped Collins helped affirm his decision to go public with being gay.
“The strain of hiding my sexuality became almost unbearable in March,” he wrote in SI’s May 6 issue, “when the US Supreme Court heard arguments for and against same-sex marriage. Less than three miles from my apartment, nine jurists argued about my happiness and my future.
“Here was my chance to be heard, and I couldn’t say a thing. I didn’t want to answer questions and draw attention to myself. Not while I was still playing.”
It’s not certain that Collins will be playing for the Wizards next season. He was under a one-year contract, which has ended. He’s a free agent. Teams will not be able to negotiate new contracts until July 1.
The Washington Nationals lineup on opening day at Nats Park. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
Over the past several years, being a sports fan in Washington has become richer and more rewarding. Now, in the heart of spring, there’s so much to feast upon. The Redskins and quarterback Robert Griffin III tell us his recovery from knee surgery is going well. The Nationals, while in a hiccup phase, still have every reason to be optimistic about the season. The Capitals are headed to the playoffs. The Wizards—well, there’s no sugar-coating that Washington’s professional basketball team needs to reflect, regroup, and move forward into a stronger future. But that can happen. We’re talking sports, after all, where anything is possible.
Kevin Sheehan is one of Washington’s most entertaining and straight-talking sports commentators. He hosts The Sports Fix daily from noon to 2 on ESPN-980 AM and is a regular on The Tony Kornheiser Show on weekday mornings. During the NFL season he hosts the Redskins pregame show and Redskins Monday Morning. We checked in with Sheehan on Friday morning to get his thoughts on what fans should be considering with DC sports teams at this moment in the middle of spring.
REDSKINS
“This is the best position the organization has been in over the past 20 years, but RG3’s injury rehab is crucial to next season.”
“Nobody knows how RG3’s rehab is going. Everybody speaks in terms of definitiveness, but I don’t think anybody’s going to know until the season starts. I would put the odds in favor of him being ready to go week one.”
“The draft matters to the Redskins. It’s another opportunity for them to add talent in places where they still don’t have enough of it. Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen know what they are doing. A lot of people think they will go for defense [in their pick Friday]. They should take the best player available.”
“The Redskins are keeping the grass field, but they made a commitment to re-sod earlier in the season, before it gets too cold, to make sure the field is much more playable at the end of the season.”
“The fall schedule came out last week. The Redskins open on Monday night against the Eagles. We got the maximum number of primetime games, at five. That’s 100 percent because of RG3. We would be on twice without him, maybe only once. Let’s hope he’s healthy.”
NATIONALS
“It’s too early in the season for panic, because ultimately on paper we still have one of the most talented teams in baseball. The great thing about the baseball season is it is so long. The talent rises to the top.”
“Stephen Strasburg is pitching fine. He just hasn’t gotten much help in his starts. The entire pitching staff has been inconsistent to date. He’ll be fine.”
“Bryce Harper, superstar. Maybe the biggest upside of any athlete in town, and that includes RG3. Harper looks like the real deal and could become one of the best players in the game, maybe one of the best to ever play the game.”
“A lot of people are concerned [Harper] will want to become a Yankee. Let’s enjoy him while he’s here. If the Nationals win enough and he becomes enough of an icon in this town, he’ll want to stay.”
“The best new addition to the team is Denard Span. He’s been as good as anybody through the first 22 games, everything they thought he would be.”
“Every time Ross Detwiler pitches he continues to get better. He has the chance to be much more than an afterthought, much more than your conventional fourth or fifth starter.”
“I love Davey Johnson. He’s the smartest coach/manager in town. What’s he’s going through right now is frustrating for him, but he’ll figure it out. He’s top-shelf, and highly entertaining to watch and listen to.”
Dan Haren and Denard Span. Photographs by Chris Bernacchi/AP Images.
New Broadcast Team Member: A year after joining MASN, Kristina Akra decided she’s been in the crossfire of her last Gatorade shower. She’s moved to the MLB Network, meaning the Nats will have a different on-field reporter to celebrate wins with.
New Member of Baseball’s Best Rotation: Onetime ace Dan Haren looks to return to form after battling injuries with the Angels last year. If he’s anywhere near his old self, baseball’s best starting rotation will actually improve over last year.
New Addition to the Lineup: Denard Span was the lone major addition to the opening roster, and that’s fine. All it lacked was an every-day center-fielder and classic leadoff hitter. He’s both. Plus he tweets and is smart enough to ask for restaurant tips.
New Prediction Manager: Davey Johnson is nothing if not confident. Before last season, he said he should be fired if he didn’t guide the team to its first playoff. He’s back and isn’t growing demure with age. This year he’s on record with a Series proclamation.
This article appears in the May 2013 issue of The Washingtonian.
Bryce Harper, in good health, at bat on Opening Day at Nats Park. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
It’s a remarkable story and adds one more page to the legend that’s gradually building around 20-year-old Bryce Harper. The Washington Nationals slugger had a flu-game Wednesday night in the 6-1 win over the Miami Marlins. Watching him go four for five, it was hard to tell he’d been out sick the night before, needed an IV of fluids before the first pitch, and hurled—not a ball—during the second inning. “I didn’t feel very good at all,” he said after the game. “I wanted to play. I didn’t really care if I was sick or not.”
“I thought he was gonna die every time he went up there, and he got a hit,” said manager Davey Johnson at his regular post-game news conference.
The Nats are off Thursday night and resume play Friday against the Mets in New York.
Should you need a little more flu medicine, Bryce, just for you here’s our comprehensive list of 24 Washingtonian-staff-recommended home remedies.
The Washington Capitals’ Alexander Ovechkin is having a very good season. It may have started slowly for him, perhaps as he and new coach Adam Oates adjusted to each other’s style, but now, with five regular season games to go, Ovie is the NHL’s scoring leader with 28 goals. The playoffs are just around the corner. Oates told Yahoo Sports he thinks Ovechkin should “absolutely” be named the league’s MVP.
What’s Ovi’s reaction to all this? We’re not sure, exactly, but he did put this up on Twitter.
Chpioni!!!!!!!!!!hahahahahahaah s pobedoy myjiki!!!!!)))))krasavci!!!!yra!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) April 17, 2013
We hoped he was reacting to his and the team’s sensational run, so far, but in truth it’s his review of a YouTube video shot when he was teenage phenom with Dynamo Moscow. Which became clear in a second tweet:
Chempioooni chempioooooni ole ole ole.......!!!!!Dynamo Moskva............
— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) April 17, 2013
Note to Ovi: Caps fans hope to be shouting “Chempiooni” themselves soon enough. The team has two away games and then three home games, starting Tuesday April 23, against the Winnipeg Jets.
Less than two weeks after the Washington Redskins resigned Fred Davis, the controversy-prone tight end is facing a fresh legal headache.
On Tuesday, Davis was sued in federal court for defamation by a woman he has called a “madam” and a “pimpette,” according to court documents.
Makini R. Chaka, of Baltimore, has described herself as a “celebrity broker” who arranges events for high-profile athletes and entertainers. For more than two years, she has been engaged in a legal battle with Davis following a January 2011 altercation between the two at Josephine Nightclub and Lounge in DC.
In court filings related to that case, Davis’s sometimes bodyguard Stewart Prince alleged that Chaka is “a ‘madam/pimpette’ who provides escorts to high-profile athletes and entertainers.”
“It is well-known in the sports and entertainment industry, particularly in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, that [Chaka] recruits women to work for her and provide sexual favors to athletes or other entertainer[s] in exchange for money,” Prince said in court documents. He said he knew “at least two women who [Chaka] attempted to recruit to work for her in this capacity.”
He added that Chaka “often carries her ‘pimp-cup’ with her, is acquainted with other well-known pimps including Bishop Don Juan (the ‘Bishop’) and frequently attends the Bishop’s Players’ Ball with her female escorts.”
During a court hearing last April, Davis told Chaka: “You supply other people with girls.”
Chaka has repeatedly denied procuring prostitutes for anyone.
Davis’s lawyer, George J. Wooditch, did not return a phone call requesting comment for this story.
Jayson Werth’s walk-up song is “Dazed and Confused” by Led Zeppelin. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
It’s not quite as essential as bats, balls, and gloves, but the tradition of the “walk-up” song is still a signature and crowd-pleasing part of professional baseball. Wouldn’t we all like to have a 15-second clip of some anthemic song play triumphantly as we arrive at our desks, coffee cup in one hand, file folders in the other? Nah? Guess it’s not quite the same as stepping up to home plate.
Opening Day at Nats Park debuted not only the 2013 Nationals starting lineup but also the starters’ picks for walk-up songs, because each player chooses his own anthems, usually three, which rotate through the game and the season. The selections can change, of course, but we believe what each player starts out with is a window into his attitude about himself at the moment.
We asked the Nationals for the number one choices of the starting lineup for opening day, and they obliged with the full list. We then got The Tommy Show’s Tommy McFly on the phone to provide expert analysis. He started by praising the diversity of the list, which has everything from Moby to Metallica to Gloria Estefan and Lauryn Hill.
McFly points out it’s overall a “rock-y roster, not poppy dancing,” and laments (as many of us do) the departure of Michael Morse to Seattle—Morse regularly walked up to A-Ha’s “Take On Me.” Gone but not forgotten, apparently, because the song played during the seventh-inning stretch on opening day and may become a fixture, says McFly.
Breaking it down, here are the players, the title and artist of their walk-up songs, and McFly’s instant analysis of the selection.
Ross Detwiler: “Craving Lucy” by Therapy
“Great rock-y song. Fifteen really pumped up seconds.”
Stephen Strasburg: “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes
“Anthemic.”
Jordan Zimmermann: “Hell on Wheels” by Brantley Gilbert
“You can’t go wrong with this.”
Tyler Clippard: “Ready or Not” by the Fugees
“Ready or not, you know he’s going to crack the ball out of the park. A great song.
You could pick out Lauryn Hill’s voice anywhere.”
Zach Duke: “2x4” by Metallica
“It’s what you need. It is rock.”
Ryan Mattheus: “Firework” by Katy Perry
“A fresh artist, the poppiest song on the roster this year. The softer side of the
pump-up songs, but one families are going to know and love.”
Craig Stammen: “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor
“Old-school, a throwback. Everyone from a 4-year-old to a 94-year-old will know this
song.”
Drew Storen: “Bad Company” by Five Finger Death Punch
“The name pretty much says it all. There’s a clean and a not-so-clean version. They
grab the cleanest 15 seconds, but it still has a charge and a feel to it.”
Roger Bernadina: “The System” by Popcaan
“This has a great feeling to it when it’s 158 degrees in the middle of August and
people are diving for the shade. This will really get the crowd going.”
Bryce Harper: “Flower” by Moby
“It has a cool instrumental behind it. You can just see the crowd going crazy as he walks up with this and his swagger. The song just fits him.”
