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Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: Good afternoon and welcome back to The Chat House! We've missed you. And we know you've missed us. So, let's get started. --Mary

Hi peeps. I'm glad we are starting out on one of the great Monday afternoon QB days possible. Those were great games yesterday, plus it was a terrific tennis final. We will start our picks this week. So, let's get started. --Mike

Let's go. --Tony

Surprise, surprise: Well it wouldn't be the Chat House if they weren't late.

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: That's right. Welcome back. --Mary

I wasn't late weasel. I'm sitting here. As a matter of fact, I brought Mary here. So shaddup. --Mike

It's true. I was about to hail a cab over here and I saw Mike in his golden chariot and he gave me a ride. --Mary

Bethesda, Md.: What do you guys think the Redskins will have to improve on to beat the Eagles next week? Are you guys at all concerned that the defense may be a little overhyped?

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: Lavar Arrington is certainly concerned about the defense. I don't know what the local TV had but if you wanna go to washingtonpost.com sports page and look at my column you can read the quotes from Lavar who was really critical of the defense, himself included. I think this is a great sign, that the most talented player on the team, already displays a sense of urgency. --Mike

Washington, D.C.: Does Pete Sampras about to surge back onto the scene, or is this a last hurrah?

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: I have been as wrong as wrong can be about Pete Sampras. I had him losing in the 2nd round in the US Open like he did at Wimbledon and every time he came up against a new guy, I said he'd lose again. I said he'd lose to Rusedski, I said he'd lose to Haas, I said he'd lose to Roddick. So clearly I'm wrong on this guy. But, I can't even imagine him getting to a Grand Slam Final again. I think this was his last hurrah and as Patrick McEnroe told me on radio "this was the great win of Pete's career." So more power to him. --Tony

You don't learn do you? You don't even learn from your own idiocy. I think Sampras will play fairly well for the next year. I think he can get to the Wimbledon finals in 2003. Is he going to go on a run where he wins three of the next five major? No. But, I think he could do well in Australia and in England. --Mike

Bethesda, Md.: First of all, welcome back. Second, I know this chat is about you guys and not your colleagues but just wanted to say Mark Maske has done an awesome job of covering the Redskins since day one of training camp.

Now, is Notre Dame really that good or are they just having beginner's coach luck. Also, do you think Maryland will be re-ranked in the top 25 during the season?

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: Maske has done a fabulous job. Maske is a great reporter. I intend to kick his rear in golf later this week. But that doesn't change the fact that he's a terrific reporter. As for the Irish, they haven't scored an offensive touchdown yet. The offense has got to be better this week against Michigan. Personally, I don't think Maryland will be ranked in the Top 25 this season. Maryland's great success last season will be rewarded next season when a couple of great recruitment classes start to grow up. --Mike

I love Maske. Maske is the first full scholarship writer on the Washington Post. When he was a freshman at UVA, he started working for us. It was so sure that the moment he graduated that we would hire him full-time... he was like a lottery pick, he was like Patrick Ewing in the lottery. Wilbon and Junior and Sheinin and Aldridge and others were interns who got jobs here. But, nobody was the stone cold lock for a job that Maske was. Right Wilbon? --Tony

I'd say so. --Mike

Milwaukee, Wis.: Any comments on Michael Vick? I watched the GB-ATL game and the Falcons should have won that game. Two receivers dropped passes that should have been touchdowns. Vick tore up the GB defense with his feet and legs. He looks awesome. And that TJ Duckett isn't bad himself. ANy other rookies worth keeping an eye on?

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: I was covering the Redskins games, but when I got home the first phone call I get is from Aldridge who is screaming into the phone that Michael Vick looked like the greatest young QB since Steve Young or John Elway. And David isn't easily excited about prospects. Then I watched the highlights on Primetime and he was right. Vick looked great. It's early and if you're for the Falcons, you gotta be happy. --Mike

Philly, Pa.: Mike, How close are you and Sir Charles to finishing your book? Looking forward to reading it. I'm sure you're hearing some great stories.

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: Thank you for asking. The book is finished and scheduled to be out the first day or two of October. I suppose I should know the exact publishing date, but I don't. The title is: I May Be Wrong, But I Doubt It. And, it's not my book. It's Barkley's book through and through, 100 percent. --Mike

Kansas City, Mo.: Are the 'Skins finally through with Brett Conway?

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: We'll find out in a couple of hours won't we? I think that's possible. But, they'd have to find a legit pro kicker before they let this guy go. --Mike

I think they should not only get rid of him, I think they should attempt to charge him in Federal Court w/fraud. --Tony

Tony has never been guilty of overstatement has he? --Mike

This is the 2nd time in 3 years that Conway has come up w/some sort of phantom injury that apparently he did not fully disclose to the team. --Tony

They knew he was hurt. --Mike

2 yrs. ago it cost Norv Turner his job b/c at least 3 games would have been won w/a competent kicker. --Tony

I'm w/you. --Mike

I have no sympathy for Brett Conway and it doesn't look like the coach does either. --Tony

Waldorf, Md.: Over the weekend, I witnessed numerous incidents where players' losses of composure placed their teams in jeopardy: Late hits out of bounds, late hits on QBs, etc., the most egregious obviously being the Cleveland Browns two late-game gaffes. Particularly on the professional level, how can the players be so blatantly irresponsible? I know, emotions run high, but this seems so basic that the players must be mindful of the consequences of their actions. How much of the blame is attributable to coaching, or the absence thereof?

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: Great question. Obviously, there are about 50 partial answers to this question. I'm going to talk about one we all overlook too often. Coaches, even at the pro level, are always asking for intensity and ferocity and for the guys to be jacked up and focused.... so coaches essentially create an atmosphere where they want their players to be foaming at the mouth like rabid dogs for the whole of Sunday afternoon. And of course, this is the unwanted side effect that guys are just too over the top. I don't know if Butch Davis is one of those guys, but I'm told he is, that he coached that way at Miami and brought the same level of intensity to Cleveland. Can you imagine if the Browns missed the playoffs by one game? Wow. --Mike

Clarksburg, Md.: Mike, if offensive guards are as hard to come by as left handed pitching as you've stated, what in God’s creation happened so we could pick up Brendan Stai for a song? There clearly must be more to this story. Any ideas why we got him so cheap? How did he play yesterday?

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: You're right. I think there is more to this story. People around the league couldn't believe the Redskins were able to get this guy for so little. If we had Maske in the Chat House right now, we could get a little more specific. But sometimes people goof and the smart teams take advantage of it. I don't know if Detroit has 2 great guards and just needed to unload a third guard and wanted to get something for him. But guards are hard to get. Tackles are even harder to get. I'm not ready to sit here and tell you the Redskin offense line issues are completely settled, but having Stai is better than any of their alternatives, but 100 miles. --Mike

Washington, D.C.: A non-football question for you.

Given the huge steps the Mystics took this year, what do they need to take them to the next level?

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: 2 big post players who can score and play defense. That's the difference between the Mystics and LA and NY. --Mike

Fayetteville, Ark.: Was Champ Bailey just off his game yesterday or is David Boston that good?

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: David Boston is that good. He was that good last year. Some people think in the right offense w/the right QB that Boston would be as good as Terrell Owens. Boston is huge and strong and fast. Steve Spurrier must have been salivating at what he could do w/a guy like Boston catching passes for him. --Mike

Washington, D.C.: How does the FSU VS. Maryland game look? Is Maryland going to compete?

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: Maryland is nowhere near as good as last year. So, let's start w/that. And Florida State is going to win. But I don't think the Seminoles or the Gators are great teams this season from what we've seen so far. Maybe they will prove to be their usual great selves over the next 10 weeks, but they don't look so overpowering now. I still expect FSU to win by 3 TDs.--Mike

Washington, D.C.: Is Donovan McNabb still the Allen Iverson of the NFL? Looked like a deer caught in the headlights in the second half yesterday. Isn't it a wee bit possible that the Eagles are vastly overrated?

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: How big an idiot are you? Donovan McNabb has been a magician for 2 years, then looked so-so for one game and you've got him being "a deer in headlights?" The guy took his team to the NFC Championship Game 2 games ago. And now you've got him and the Eagles written off. McNabb gave his team a 24-10 lead. Was he then supposed to play linebacker? --Mike

Washington, D.C.: Mike: You referred to Spurrier's offense as the "East Coast offense" today. Please, why trade in a great name like "the Fun and Gun" for that tired label? Would you call Kornheiser TKorn rather than Mr. Tony? SSpur rather than Steve Superior?

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: I might. What do you think Fun 'n Gun is sacred or something? Is is like the Star Spangled Banner? Who cares what it's called? I'd like to call Tony a lot worse things but I can't do it on the air. --Mike

Cubeville, Va.: Hey guys. This isn't a football question, but I've been wondering for awhile. Where do you tape your "PTI" show? Tony, I know you do your radio show from the ESPN Zone downtown, but I don't get the feeling your TV show is taped there. Is it somewhere in D.C.? Is there a studio audience? I would love to come down and watch you guys, you're the best. (And stat boy is a babe!)

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: Hi Cubeville, PTI is taped downtown at a production house called Atlantic Video. There's no studio audience now though. Sorry. But, I'll tell Stat boy he has another admirer! He'll be thrilled. --Mary

Washington, D.C.: Why does Mike answer 90 percent of the Chat House questions? Is Tony taking a nap, walking his dog, what gives?

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: That's actually just for today. Tony is here He's actually about 3 feet away from me. He's busy w/working w/the producers of PTI setting up for the show today (which happens every time we do the Chat House. The guys do The Chat House in between some of their other commitments.). So, Tony drops in and out of the Chat House to answer questions. Mike just had to leave and go work on the TV show too. Well actually....--Mary

I'm here. If I do my part in this, PTI will never get on the air. I have a lot more preparity work than Wilbon does whose answer to everything is "Chill." That sounds great on MTV, but it doesn't work if both of us are sitting on the set "chilling." I actually have to do something so that when Wilbon comes in 5 minutes before the show starts and says "who am I and where am I" I can say "don't worry, chill." So my contributions to the Chat House are limited. I would prefer to do The Chat House in another century, hour, year or day. But as Wilbon says over every request we get .... oh come on do it, they are nice. Then he goes on vacation and I'm left to do it. So, to all the ferrets in the Chat House, thank you for support. But my contribution, will be limited. On the other hand, unlike Wilbon, I don't get paid for the chat House, so I'll do the best I can while old Mr. Moneybags, yaps and and yaps and yaps. Just listen to him sing for his supper. --Tony

He's a fraud Chat House participants. He's a fraud. He turned down the money he was offered to do the Chat House b/c he's so stinkin' rich already and he lives in a neighborhood I can't even afford. He doesn't need the money.--Mike

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: We'll post our NFL picks Friday by noon on this page. So, check back. --Mike

Have a good week. --Tony

See you next Monday. --Mary

Germantown, Maryland: No Michael, don't start that East Coast Offense thing.

My greatest desire is for Steve Spurrier to be successful in the NFL so that his success will drive the final nail in the worn out 'west coast offense' coffin; something similar to the Steve Dahl inspired burning and burial of disco music on July 12, 1979, in your home town.
Good offense (football) doesn't need a catch phrase.

Wilton.......

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon: Thanks for the comment. --The Chat House

washingtonpost.com:

That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion.

Stay tuned to Live Online:

Astrologer Charlene Lichtenstein at 6 p.m. EDT

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washingtonpost.com: One more thing... Mike's picks for this week. I'll get Tony's next week: Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons: Falcons New England Patriots at N.Y. Jets: Patriots Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts: Colts Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers: 49ers Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers: Steelers Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins (Monday night): Eagles Good luck!

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