The Chat House
Michael Wilbon
Washington Post Sports Columnist
Monday, November 08, 2004; 1:15 p.m. ET
Welcome to another edition of The Chat House where Post columnist Michael Wilbon talks about the latest in sports.
With a great performance by their special teams, the Redskins beat the Detroit Lions, 17-10, on Sunday.
On Saturday, in a clinching tiebreaker, D.C. United celebrated its victory over New England to advance to the MLS Cup for the first time in five years. Also, the struggle and controversy of the location for a D.C. baseball stadium continues.
Join Wilbon online Monday, Nov. 8, at 1:15 p.m. ET to talk about the latest about baseball in the nation's capital, this weekend's NFL games and all things sports.
Submit your questions and comments any time, before or during today's discussion.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Washington, D.C:
Wilbon-
With all the hoopla about the new baseball stadium and how/where it will be built/funded, DC United's run to the championship game of soccer has taken a backseat.
The question is, do you see DC United it its own stadium any time soon? Im not sure how DC council politics work, but I do understand that United wants to PRIVATLEY fund their stadium, unlike MLB. Would you support this project as well?
Michael Wilbon: What D.C. United is doing is fabulous. D.C. United, with GM Kevin Payne being the constant and Bruce Arena's early influence, has been arguably the MLS' best franchise. Remember, United won championships. But let's not confuse soccer in America with baseball in America, okay? The interest level isn't close, not in any city in America. United ought to be celebrated, unquestionably. But there's a fraction of interest in professional soccer that there is in major league baseball, and so it will remain on the back burner compared to baseball, the Redskins, the Wizards, and Maryland basketball...Surely even the biggest soccer fanatics understand supply and demand.
_______________________
Columbus, Ohio:
Ok, lets get it out of the way early. We've hear Gibbs insist that he's his quarterback, but how much longer are we going to have to suffer through Mark Brunell? If a ridiculous 58 yards passing against the Lions won't convince him a change is needed, nothing will. Does he think the team would do WORSE with Patrick Ramsey? He has a week to "coach him up". The Redskins aren't winning because of Brunell...they're winning despite Brunell.
Michael Wilbon: Okay, let's indeed get this out of the way early: Joe Gibbs is not going to bench Mark Brunell. Not now. The one thing Brunell can do is run an offense and avoid massive turnovers. And there's no need to go to Patrick Ramsey, who liked to gun the ball, if you're going to start to play it really, really close to the vest: run it, run it, dump it off, get field position, punt it...So, stop with the Brunell obsession, as least for this week. Look, he's not getting it done, okay. But your team won a game to get to 3-5 and you're obsessed with Brunell? Today?
What kills me about Redskins fans is they've got one thing and usually only one thing on their minds: quarterback. The Ravens won a Super Bowl with a guy who stayed out of the way and didn't screw it up a few years ago. I'm not suggesting the Redskins are going to win the Super Bowl this season, but they can get to 9-7 and build the foundation for a really good team next season.
_______________________
Malmö, Sweden:
Michael why is Brunell playing so poorly? Is it that Gibbs is behind the times or is Brunell that bad? When will they go to Ramsey?
Michael Wilbon: These are the questions I'm talking about. I've got 20 questions here about Brunell one day after winning a road game in the NFL against a team that, no matter how mediocre, had a winning record going into the game. I never failed to be stunned by how lacking in perspective Redskins fans are...Stunning.
_______________________
Bloomington, Ind.:
Michael:
It would be hard to argue that anyone in the NFL is playing better football than the Steelers right now, but given the rookie mistakes Roethlisberger made yesterday (fumble, INT), are the Steelers a legitimate threat to win the Super Bowl this year?
Michael Wilbon: Good question: I think the Steelers are really, really good. But they won both those games at home. I don't think I'd pick the Steelers against the Patriots in New England, but right now the Steelers are in position to get home field advantage through the playoffs, and thus avoid playing teams like the Pats and Jets on the road in January...Big Ben has to be the real deal. I mean, the kid has beaten Bill Belichick and Jim Johnson, two of the best defensive minds in football, back-to-back weeks. And either of those coaches will tell you good defenses feast on rookie quarterbacks. But not on Big Ben. Wow. How bright is this kid's future. He's big, mobile, smart, has a cannon and perhaps most important, a sense of how to play the game even at an early age.
_______________________
Glasgow, Scotland:
Do you think the skins defense is getting enough credit for the job their doing? Is griffin the best defensive tackle in the league just now? And can the Redskins make the playoffs this year?
Michael Wilbon: The playoffs might be a bit difficult, because even if the Redskins beat the Bengals, Eagles at home, Giants at home, struggling Cowboys on the road, 49ers on the road and Vikings at home in January when they don't want to be outdoors, that's 9 wins...That means I've got them losing at Philly and at Pittsburgh...But the good thing, which you ask about, is the defense. When you're in every single game you can win six of eight. Will they? Probably not. an 8-8 finish is probably optimistic enough for Redskins fans...I don't think the playoffs will happen, but I want to see how they go about playing the Bengals Sunday before I count them out.
The obsessives around here who would rather whine about the quarterback than look at the defense don't get it. But the Redskins appear to have 3/4 of a team. Defense, running game, special teams...That's a lot better than last year if they realize their identity and play to it, which I think we're starting to see Joe Gibbs do.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.:
Mike,
Fred Smoot said that they played as a 'team' in their win over the Lions. How do you see them doing against the Bengals?
Michael Wilbon: Every game will be the same: Close and low scoring. But it has to be that way. The Redskins are playing now like the Giants often play...conservative, field-position, win-late-by-a-field-goal games. And there's nothing wrong with it...it's just that folks around here are so spoiled by Gibbs' offensive teams in the 80s and early 90s that they think the game has to be played one way...Is it preferable to have a quarterback with a gun? Damn right it is? But they don't.
_______________________
Reston, Va.:
Did you get to see any of the Pittsburgh-Philly game?
What did Pittsburgh do that enable them to
completely derail the Eagles in this game?
Michael Wilbon: I did not. I was covering the Redskins-Lions game yesterday and didn't see a snap of Philly-Steelers. Although, the way it played out, I didn't miss much in the way of drama because that game had none, other than figuring out what the hell T.O. was doing following Donovan McNabb around the sideline. See, yesterday's antics are why T.O. isn' the MVP...The guy was a bad teammate in San Francisco (for the way he berated and treated Jeff Garcia) and he's a bad teammate now. And it always comes back to bit you when you have a guy like T.O. who thinks he's beyond control.
_______________________
Arlington, Va. (Mickey):
(Cough Cough) Did you just say the skins could get to 9-7, No Way! They are about to hit the hard part of their schedule, They still have the Eagles twice, and the Steelers, There are 3 losses, plus either the Giants or the Cowboys will beat them. The best the skins can hope for is 7-9, if they are lucky!
Michael Wilbon: I said that's the best case scneario. And what I think the Redskins are doing is getting better in most every area. If they can cut down the peanlties, they might be able to win despite the passing game. I'm not sold on the Eagles, even though Donovan McNabb is my favorite player (a Chicago thing, same neighborhood, good Catholic League boy, just like your friendly neighborhood columnist). The Eagles look a little vulnerable to me, and I thought that before the game yesterday...So many injuries, no real running game unless Brian Westbrook is at full strength. You want to pick today to sell me on the merits of the Cowboys and Giants? I don't think so. The Redskins might be getting better at the right time to make a mini-run...nothing fabulous, but a mini-run. And remember, the the 3-5 teams are exactly one game behind the second wild-cart team, which would be Green Bay and St. Louis, who re 4-4...
_______________________
Berkeley, Calif.:
How about Thrash yesterday? Has there ever been one player that has downed the ball on the one yard line three times in a game?
It's interesting how they blasted him in Philly where he was completely misused.
Michael Wilbon: That's why the team awarded Thrash a game ball yesterday. The guy was pure gold.
_______________________
Rockville, MD:
Wilbon, love your articles and PTI. I hate to draw a parallel between spurrier and gibbs, but isnt the gibbs-brunell situation reminicient of the spurrier-wuerrful situation? Both of them see something to make them think that the quarterback can be productive in this league when noone else in the world can see it. Your comments?
Michael Wilbon: Thanks...It's not exactly the same, I don't think. Wuerffel could never play. It was never, ever, ever, ever, ever going to happen that he could be a winning quarterback in the NFL. Not ever, ever, ever, ever. Brunell, on the other hand, was a big-time quarterback who led his team twice to a conference championship game. So Gibbs had a body of work to trust, while Spurrier didn't.
_______________________
Morgantown, W. Va.:
Mr. Wilbon,
You brought to light a great point in your Redskins/Lions piece. Every so-called "expert" is making Mike Shanahan out to be a genius for making the Bailey-for-Portis trade. Hello? Clinton Portis has 810 yards rushing this season (tied for fifth in the league), including 388 yards in his last three games alone. No Broncos runner is even close to Portis, yardage-wise, this season.
Meanwhile, the Skins have the league's number one ranked defense! I don't remember that being the case when Champ was in town. I believe the trade was good for both sides, but there is no way Denver got the better end, not so far.
Michael Wilbon: Portis ia a big-time back, which had already been proven. And it's interesting about Shanahan, who is a damn fine coach. But I don't think he's won a single playoff game without John Elway...not a single one. I liked the deal when it was made and I like it even better now. What, the Redskins defense is hurting at cornerback? I don't think so.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.:
Saturday night 21,000 people rocked RFK stadium like the old Redskins days. The "bouncing stands" were shaking like it was 1983.
The Post has reported than a new soccer specific stadium is proposed for the Poplar Point site directly accross the river from the new MLB site, but that the project, like MCI Center, would be largely privately financed?
Why can't both sides of the City Council debate at least find some common ground and get this project started now?
Michael Wilbon: You make the case wonderfully with your question. So I'm just going to post it and say, thanks.
_______________________
Columbus, Ohio:
Are the Wizards for real this year? I don't expect any post-season glory, but can they avoid the lottery?
Michael Wilbon: In the east, which stinks, the Wizards could conceivably make the playoffs, but it's going to depend on how the big men--Brendan Haywood, Etan Thomas and Kwame Brown--play when they get into the lineup. The perimter players appear to be pretty darn good to me. There's ballhandling, shooting, scoring and even a little bit of defense...But the big men...that's the deal, the big men.
_______________________
Columbus, Ohio:
If you were starting a team today, which young QB would you build it around? There are several guys who have been very impressive this year!
Michael Wilbon: Great question: It's hard not to go with Vick, if we limit the conversation to quarterbacks with 4 years or fewer experience...I'd be damn happy to have Big Ben. I like David Carr...Did not like what I saw yesterday in Joe Harrington, who was skipping passes all over the place...But Brees, who I think is 24, is going to be a free agent. He's got, I think 18 TDs and only 3 INTs. Think the Redskins couldn't use that right now? I'm sure I'm missing somebody I should be mentioning. OHHHHHHH. My boy from right here in D.C., Byron Leftwich. He wants to come back and play this coming week, which I wouldn't let happen if I'm the coach of Jacksonville. But I like that group a lot...
_______________________
New York, NY:
Please Wilbon, Please. Just tell me that Gibbs is going to announce a change at the QB position today. This isn't a question, its a plea. Please just tell me he's making the switch. Make the pain go away.
If your favorite team can throw in their inexperienced 3rd string rookie molecular biologist and break 20 points against the Giants, then surely Ramsey can at some point exceed the mighty 18 points that is currently our high water mark for the season.
Michael Wilbon: THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY QUARTERBACK CHANGE WITH THE REDSKINS TODAY. Well, I haven't called the Redskins to ask that question, but I can't believe there would be. I'd be shocked. And once again, the last time we saw Ramsey he did what in Giants Stadium? Oh, 3 INTs in less than a quarter...Oh, right.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.:
Hey Michael,
Is it true that Tony is coming back on the radio? If so is it AM or PM?
KJ
Michael Wilbon: This is a perfect final final question for this week. The answer is yes, he'll be back on WTEM, Sports Talk 980 weekdays from 9-11 with that show replayed from 11-1. So there it is. Listen Up, starting Wednesday. And we'll chat next week.
_______________________
| 
