Gilbert Arenas Gets Off Easy, Wizards Stuck

Gilbert Arenas appeared in court Friday and received a sentence of 30 days in a halfway house and 2 years probation for his gun charge. I'm not one of those people who complains about the different rules for the rich, but in the wake of this charge when you look at the questions surrounding it and the effects it will have, I'm having a hard time seeing how Arenas is being punished more than the Wizards.

Arenas was facing a felony charge for his little gun prank. Even with a guilty plea, the district attorney's office presented a case for jail time. This was a serious charge. The judge remarked that while Arenas was very irresponsible, he showed genuine remorse and was unlikely to be a repeat offender. Being a celebrity in this case helped him because Arenas is going to be under the microscope for quite sometime. He won't be able to carry a water pistol without every person in America seeing four different camera shots, but I'm really not sure about the 'genuine remorse.' Before charges were brought against him it became a team joke. Arenas even pretended to shoot his teammates during a pregame pump up. So while some reports say that Javaris Crittenton pulled his own gun and cocked it in response to Arenas' prank, he was only remorseful after he got in trouble. It's easy to appear remorseful when every television station in America runs quotes and interviews of you saying you're sorry, but he really didn't seem to act that way.

As a celebrity, you can't dismiss how much money he's losing because of his season suspension and cancelled endorsements. One figure says he's lost $7.4 million so far. That's a fair point, but Arenas is already a multi-millionaire. The richer you get, the less that money really means. Think about it. Whatever percentage of Arenas' salary that makes up, take a proportional amount out of your salary and you're in trouble. Arenas isn't going to be sitting at the old halfway house wondering how he will manage to make ends meet. With celebrities, monetary penalties really don't mean that much. That makes it imperative that they receive some other form of punishment because this is the only thing that really affects them.

One example you should consider is that of Plaxico Burress. Burress accidentally shot himself at a night club with his gun, was arrested, and accepted a plea deal for two years in prison. Arenas brought four guns into DC which is against DC's gun control laws and received 30 days in a halfway house. One got shot and is now in prison, the other thought it was no big deal and is headed to a halfway house. Doesn't it seem like the justice system got it wrong here?

Even if you feel Arenas' punishment is fair, the punishment for the Wizards is entirely unfair. Their star player is out for the season and too expensive to buy out. His trade value has understandably dropped and the Wizards can't really begin to rebuild their team until they deal with the giant elephant in the room. Best case scenario would be to void Arenas' contract, but this is not a realistic solution. Arenas is already suspended for the season and will be out of the halfway house before training camp this summer so the Wizards can't argue that his sentence will affect his ability to train and play. There of course is the morals clause of his contract. Yes, the NBA has a morals clause, but the fact that it's in the NBA is evidence enough of how useless it is. It's not even worth discussing.

The Wizards felt out interest for Arenas before this little gun incident and the prospects weren't encouraging. No one wanted an injury prone, unproven leader with an obscene contract. Add convicted felon to that resume and you could be describing a lot of NBA stars, but specifically for Arenas it's not promising that the Wizards will get any where near his value. Buying out Arenas, however, will cost the team $80 million. If Arenas is really desperate to get back on the court and leave Washington, which he hinted he would like to do, he may void a portion of that amount, but it still means a significant amount of money for a team poised for a massive rebuild.

So out of this entire situation, who really got the short end of the stick, Arenas who received no jail time for a gun felony or the Wizards who can't move forward without paying Arenas $80 million, trading for nothing, or rebuilding around a player who has proven he doesn't have enough to get this team over the threshold? New owner Ted Leonsis probably acquired the Wizards with the idea of rebuilding much the same way he did with the Capitals. The team already unloaded all their expensive talent at the deadline and acquired several prospects. Add a top draft pick the team can begin building around and this young team will be poised for future success. With this hanging over the team's head, however, it is difficult to start that process. Somehow after this big mess, Arenas still essentially holds the upper hand between himself and the Wizards and that's just not fair.

NFL Tries to Take Step in the Right Direction with Bad Decision

The NFL announced this week that they will be changing the overtime system for the playoffs next season. While it will remain sudden death for the most part, the new rule states that if a team should score on a field goal in the opening possession, the other team will receive the ball for a possession. What this will do is prevent a team from putting together a short drive and scoring on a field goal without the other team even having a chance to score. Any field goals after the opening drive or touchdowns scored at any time will result in the end of the game.


If you're confused by this rule, you're not alone. NFL overtime has been criticized for many years, but this new rule change addresses only one of the two major issues. The biggest problem people have with the old rule is that a team can lose without ever getting a possession. This rule change is meant to prevent this, but it seems to be an odd roundabout way of addressing it. One team can still win without the other ever having a chance for a possession. Rather than guaranteeing both teams will get a chance, they have determined teams will only get a chance if the other team only scored an easy field goal. They have recognized that it's not fair for a team to not have a chance while still refusing to guarantee them that chance. It really doesn't make sense.

The new rule also ignores the problem of ties. The fact that teams can still tie in the NFL during the regular season is absurd. No one ever leaves a football game satisfied that their team has tied. It is a completely ludicrous way of concluding a game. There are two reasons why this rule still remains. First, is the rigid TV scheduling of the NFL. Have you ever noticed that the games switch at precisely 4:15 whether it's over or not? If you aren't in that team's market, you're not watching the end of that game. An open ended overtime system would wreak havoc on this careful timing. The second reason is the rigorous nature of the sport. The reason NFL teams play only one game a week with a bye for 17 weeks is because football is such a physically taxing game that any more games may put the players at risk for serious injury. Tacking more time onto games would really fatigue those teams and put them at a disadvantage come next week.

Such precautions are proven unnecessary by college football. In college overtime each team gets the ball on the 25 yard line for one possession. Whoever is leading after each team gets their possession wins. If it is still tied each team gets another possession with the order switched (team a gets the ball first when during the first overtime they played defense first). Even after long overtime sessions, you don't see teams collapsing or legs falling off during the next game. While NFL players are older and practice more, I really don't see what fatigue you avoid by having teams play the length of the field rather than 25 yards. With the skill of NFL kickers (minus the Redskins), the NFL would have to consider moving the ball back farther, but still a back and forth overtime allows for more excitement and equal play.

I am also surprised by the fact that the NFL would make the playoffs the guinea pig round for this new rule. What if it turns out to be a complete disaster? You really never know how these new rules are going to turn out. Even if this rule wasn't a completely confusing and roundabout solution, there's no guarantee that it would work. You really don't want teams walking away from the playoffs feeling cheated by a weird rule change that completely hurt them.

The new overtime rule is a bad solution to fix only part of a real problem. It will be implemented at the wrong time and could potentially blow up in the NFL's face. I am surprised the NFL owners agreed to this by such a large majority (only 4 voted against). Let's hope this is just a step in the right direction and not the actual solution to the NFL's overtime woes.

Expanding March Madness Part 2

Two rounds deep into the March Madness tournament, and the debate to expand the tournament is heating up. Because of unthinkable upsets like Northern Iowa over top seeded Kansas, St. Mary's over number two Villanova, and Cornell over both Temple and Wisconsin, support for adding more teams into the fold is gaining. If those lower seeds can compete and win, why not add them in?

Another argument points to the exclusivity of college basketball. A 65 team tournament allows approximately 19% of division one teams into the postseason. This is lower than the playoffs of the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. To raise this would not really be opening the flood gates when college basketball is the most exclusive sport in America.

These are impressive arguments, but if you look at this tournament there are other important numbers you should take into account as well. Here is the breakdown of how many teams made the tournament from the major conferences: 6 out of 12 from the ACC, 6 out of 12 Big 12 teams, 8 out of 16 Big East teams, 5 out of 11 Big 10 teams, 2 out of 10 Pac 10 teams, and 4 out of 12 SEC teams. Clearly an off year for the Pac 10 who usually boasts major national competitors in UCLA, Stanford, and Arizona. For the most part, however, you have a little less than half of major conferences making the field, which is where you want it. Most ideas for expansion say 96 teams, so lets add the 32 teams from the NIT into this field. Now you have 9 out of 12 from the ACC, 7 out of 12 from the Big 12, 13 out of 16 from the Big East, 7 out of 11 from the Big 10, 3 out of 10 from the Pac 10, and 6 out of 12 from the SEC. While more of the mid majors will be in, this will allow far too many from the big conferences.

When talking about percentages, you are assuming a competitive level roughly equal across the league. Of course every sport has their "groups of death" and their weaker divisions (the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders in the same division?), but the level for professional teams is still relatively equal. That is just not true in college sports. The Big East isn't slightly better than the Big Sky, there's a huge gap. This doesn't mean teams from the Big Sky can't compete come March, we've all seen the upsets. What it does mean, however, is that any increase in the playoffs doesn't simply allow the mid majors more slots, it also gives more slots to the conferences that already have around half of their teams heading to the post season because of their high level of competition. Making the tournament for those teams ceases to be an accomplishment and becomes a necessity for coaches to keep their job, even more so than it is now. When 13 teams from the Big East are making the tournament, you better not be one of the 3 who aren't. March Madness will become what the bowl system is for college football; making it alone means very little, not making it at all means a lot.

When considering the percentages, keep in mind that while a 96 team tournament will have approximately 28% of division one teams playing, 62% of the big conference teams will be in, and that's based just on the numbers this season, it could be more. In the current 65 team set up, teams still have to earn their spot. To expand the tournament gives a huge advantage to all teams in the major conferences before the season even begins. North Carolina made the NIT with a 5-11 record in the ACC and a 19-16 overall. Texas Tech was 4-12 in the Big 12 and 19-16 overall. UConn was 7-11 in the Big East and as low as 19-16 overall. So for these teams it doesn't matter how bad you are in the conference as long as you are in one of those big conferences and stay above .500 overall. Deserving teams that are snubbed would be in, but it also dilutes the pool with teams like UConn who have a .542 win percentage. Is that really a deserving team?

Any expansion of the tournament would have to take into account the vast difference in competition among the conferences. Don't be fooled by the low overall percentages. This drag down the tournament with teams that really don't deserve to be there. Don't ruin the magic of the tournament by forcing in more possible "Cinderellas" or the clock may strike midnight on the excitement of March.

Brett Favre Shows Again Where His Priorities Lie

One of the big name free agents this year in the NFL was former San Diego running back, Ladainian Tomlinson. He narrowed his search down to two teams, the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings, and signed with the Jets on Tuesday. The Vikings asked their quarterback, Brett Favre, to help recruit Tomlinson. What did he do? He wouldn't meet with him and when Tomlinson asked him whether or not he would be back next year, Favre texted him saying that he had "no clue." Being the quarterback of one team and having played for both the Vikings and the Jets, his efforts to recruit Tomlinson no doubt would have meant a lot. Favre stated that he did not want to mislead Tomlinson with his status for next season and that both organizations could help Tomlinson succeed.

This is yet another example of Favre's baffling level of selfishness. How he can be so completely oblivious to how detrimental his "status" for next season is to his team just boggles the mind. On the surface it looks like a pretty innocent situation, so it's important to clarify. No, Favre should not mislead Tomlinson about whether or not he will be back and yes, he should be honest in his feelings for both organizations. It looks almost classy.

The problem is that Favre's indecision puts him in this ridiculous situation that is hurting the Minnesota Vikings. As a quarterback, Favre is looked at as a team leader just by the nature of his decision. For LT, this is the man that will be handing you the ball and calling plays at the line. If he's not there it completely changes the dynamic of the offense. The Vikings are now in a terrible situation in that they don't know who their quarterback will be next year. As you can see, this makes recruiting offensive players extremely difficult. Whatever LT may say, Favre's text had an impact. The offensive leader of the team won't meet with you and will only text you to say that he doesn't even know if he'll be back? No wonder why LT accepted less money to go to New York.

With the departure of back up running back Chester Taylor, the Vikings need a second running back. Adrian Peterson is of course one of the best, if not the best running back in the league, but the Vikings run a very successful two back system. Not only that, Peterson's aggressive style of play necessitates a very good running back who can step in if need be. The Vikings just missed their chance to sign one of the best running backs available because Favre didn't want to mislead him? Unless Favre has let the Vikings know what his decision is already, this is a very dangerous game he's playing. With free agency already underway and the draft quickly approaching, the Vikings need to know immediately if they should be looking for a new quarterback. What if Favre decides in August that he just doesn't have another season left in him? He will have hampered their free agency efforts and left the team with no quarterback capable of successfully leading the team (Tarvaris Jackson, really?).

How far are the Vikings willing to let this go? They need to sit him down and tell him that it's decision time. If he feels rushed, well that's too bad, thank you for your time and get out. He won't help you recruit, you don't know if he will be back, you don't know if you should be looking for a quarterback now and players like Brady Quinn and Jake Delhomme have already been signed, and the draft is approaching which is your last chance to get a quarterback to take the reins from Jackson. If Favre wants to pull the same trick he did last year where he won't make up his mind until after training camp, that's not going to cut it. Players don't get to pick and choose their practices. There were reports of players being upset with it last season, but the speculation surrounding it really took away some of the animosity. If he does the same thing this season, it will be blatant and it won't matter how good he is, this team will not respect him.

At what point did it stop being about what was best for the team and become what was best for Favre? The Vikings are a business and football is a team sport. They need to do what is best for the team and forget about Favre. If he won't make a decision then make it for him. You need to recruit players and begin setting up an offense for next season and you can't do either of those things without knowing who your quarterback will be. Favre's total disregard for what he's doing to the team is also contradictory to the entire sport of football in which the team is more important than the player. This guy won't even get off the coach to talk to someone. Favre's continued selfishness is inexcusable and I can't understand why the Vikings are sitting back and letting him string them along. Favre's one good season with the Vikings does not entitle him to do whatever he wants, but he will continue to do so until Minnesota tells him that they've had enough.

Ovechkin Suspended 2 Games for Hit, Cooke, Downie Get Nothing

Alexander Ovechkin has been suspended for 2 games due to a hit on Chicago's Brian Campbell during Sunday's game. This coming in the wake of the Matt Cooke and Steve Downie hits in which both players received ZERO suspension. Let's cut to the chase. I'm pissed. The NHL has messed up big time and it is inexcusable.

Take a look at this hit. Campbell has the puck about one second before Ovechkin hits him so a physical play is still legal in this situation. Ovechkin is skating straight on while Campbell is turning to skate around the net, meaning Ovechkin probably expected Campbell to turn completely which would have made Ovechkin's hit legal. Instead, Ovechkin hits him from behind, which I will readily admit is an illegal play. Watch Campbell's feet when he is hit. One of them lifts up off the ice while the other doesn't move. It certainly appears that either Campbell's skate was stuck in the ice or he was already stumbling when he is hit which may have caused him to fall as awkwardly as he did. Something important to note is what happens after the play: nothing. No retaliation from Chicago against Ovechkin. When a player gets what a team feels is a dirty hit, they try to stand up for their teammate and go after the guy. These situations frequently turn into a brawl, yet no one goes after Ovechkin. Watch Ovechkin's reaction. It's clear he had no intent to hurt Campbell and was shocked that he went down as hard as he did.

My opinion may be biased for Ovechkin, but three analysts at the Chicago game commented that they felt an ejection was unwarranted. I've read several articles on ESPN.com and none of those analysts thought a suspension was warranted either. Still, I could understand why the NHL would suspend him if they had suspended Matt Cooke and Steve Downie who just committed very dangerous hits. Yet, they received nothing and Ovechkin is out. Earlier this month, Cooke skated up to Marc Savard who was not looking, lifted his elbow, and hit him full force in the HEAD. This Sunday Downie skated behind Sidney Crosby who was nowhere near the puck, wrapped himself around Crosby's knee, and took him down. Neither player received even a penalty in game. Wait, what's that? Ovechkin is a repeat offender this season so that should warrant a harsher punishment? Oh, ok, well Colin Campbell, the NHL executive in charge of discipline commented after reviewing Cooke's hit that "I can't suspend Matt Cooke for being a repeat offender, I have to find a reason." Apparently elbowing someone in the head or wrapping around someone's knee in what has to be one of the cheapest, dirtiest, most dangerous plays I have ever seen isn't enough of a reason.

Some may also believe a suspension is warranted because Campbell broke his collar bone as a result of Ovechkin's push. Cooke's latest victim, Marc Savard, received a grade 2 concussion and is out for the rest of the season. Downie's hit on Crosby luckily did not result in any injury, but it easily could have sidelined him for the season or longer. So now it's open season for headhunters to hit whomever they please where ever they please as long as it's not in the back and the other player doesn't get anything worse than a concussion. That policy is going to lead to a lot of dirty plays and some serious injuries.

Not only is this a dangerous precedent for the NHL, but it is unfair to Ovechkin who has had to face criticism that he is a dirty player all season long. Being a fanatical Caps fan, I have studied Ovechkin's play extensively and can say without a doubt that he is not a dirty player. I have never seen him hit someone with the intent to injure. He's like the big kid in the playground who sometimes hurts other kids not because he's mean or a bully, but because he doesn't know he's bigger than the other kids. Ovechkin skated up to a 200+ lbs. professional athlete and pushed him with his arms, not even a full on body check, and the guy goes flying into the boards. He plays with reckless abandon and while he clearly needs to learn when to pull back on the reins, he never means to hurt anyone.

So while players are being elbowed, tripped, speared, blindsided, and wheeled off in gurneys, Colin Campbell is patrolling against the menace that is Alexander Ovechkin. With that philosophy it may be safer for NHL players to play in the middle of a highway than in the NHL.

Questions for the Capitals for the Playoffs

With the regular season set to wrap up in a month, the Washington Capitals have already clinched their 3rd straight Southeast Division title. Their 14 point lead in the conference also is likely to hold barring a massive collapse from the team, but there are still a lot of questions surrounding this team going forward that coach Bruce Boudreau will have to figure out in the remaining month. The acquisition of four players at the trade deadline has given this team a lot of depth. An NHL team is allowed to dress 18 players ( 12 forwards and 6 defenseman usually) and 2 goalies. The Caps now have 15 forwards and 9 defensemen for a total of 24 players. Should injuries creep up on some players the Caps won't have to rely on call ups from minor league affiliate Hershey, but it also means good players won't be getting jerseys. Boudreau has been switching lines up a lot to see what matchups he likes the best and no doubt will continue to do so to prepare for playoffs.

Offesive Lineup: You won't see a change in the Caps top line of Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Knuble. They have played well together all year and they have been the one consistent so far during Boudreau's recent mixing and matching. The questions begin with the three big right wingers Brooks Laich, Tomas Fleischmann, and Eric Fehr. All three are good enough to play on the second line, but are really too good to be delegated to the fourth line. The Caps have had an abundance of right wings who they previously managed by playing some at center and left wing. As a result the Caps really struggled at times without natural left wings and centers. This is something McPhee tried to address all season with acquisitions of center Brendan Morrison in the offseason and then left wing Jason Chimera and center Eric Belanger during the season.

So how do the second, third, and fourth line stack up? Of course the Alexander Semin will play left on the second line. He has super star talent and could start for most NHL teams, but plays behind the best left wing and best hockey player in the world. Although Morrison has slumped as of late, he will most likely remain the center for the second line. He has shown he still has talent and scoring capabilities and the second line needs a natural center as an achor and playmaker. Chimera and Belanger were brought into the team to be positional players for that third line so I have a hard time believing either of them will be put back on the fourth line so a right wing can take their position. Where do the right wingers go? I think Laich is still seen as the best of the three and the best crease-crasher and will be put on the second line. Despite a great season, Fehr will be put on the third line. Since Fleischmann has some experience at center he will be put on the fourth line with Scott Walker and Matt Bradley on either side. This leaves Dave Steckle, Boyd Gordon, and Quintin Laing on the outside looking in. On the one hand, you hate to sit any of these players, especially since all 3 are good penalty killers and the Caps really seem to struggle with that. On the other hand, to have a fourth line as good as Walker, Fleischmann, and Bradley is impressive. Putting a 20 goal scorer on the back line makes every line dangerous. It will really stretch opponents defenses very thin.

Defensive Lineup: The top pair on defense, like the top offensive line, is unlikely to change. Boudreau really likes Mike Green and Jeff Schultz playing together. Schultz provides a very good defensive anchor for the always offensive Green. Joe Corvo is just too good to not receive a spot and they wouldn't have given up Brian Potheir, Oskar Osala, and a draft pick if they didn't think he was a key player come playoff time. The same goes for Milan Jurcian who, despite a hernia that will keep him out for a few weeks, the Caps would not have traded for at the deadline without the intention of playing him. One thing the Caps are clearly concerned with is keeping the shot hands relatively equal. This is the key going forward. John Carlson was unexpectedly recalled from Hershey to provide the Caps with another right handed shooter to call on if they need him and he has played well so far.

Like the offense, it is impossible to look at these defensemen and single out six players who are head and shoulders above the rest, so they'll have to work backwards. The obvious first scratch for me is John Erskine. He can fight and that's it. With the acquisition of Walker, I really don't think the Caps can justify playing Erskine who just is not good enough. Tyler Sloan is also, unfortunately, on the outside looking in. Despite an impressive offseason tryout that earned him a regular spot on the team, he doesn't yet have the talent to take a slot away from any of the others. This leaves 7 players for 6 slots. As the Caps have made clear they are concerned with keeping an even number of left and right handed shooters. Of the seven left Shaone Morrisonn, Tom Poti, and Jeff Schultz are left handed shots. As these three are also very good I think it's a safe bet that they will be playing. Corvo and Green will definitely have spots and this leaves one spot left. I think if Jurcina is healthy he'll play despite how well Carlson has done. Most likely he was called up because the other two scratches, Sloan and Erskine, are left handed shots.

Goalies: With how well Jose Theodore has played so far this season, Budreau can't really justify playing Simeon Varlamov. To start the season both were playing exceptionally well which gave the edge to Varlamov who played so well in the playoffs last year. His groin injury, however, has really taken a lot out of him. Since he came back he has let in a lot of soft goals. What he still had going for him was the fact that he still never loses with only one career regulation loss in the regular season, but he can't even hide behind that anymore with a loss last night to Tampa Bay. Playing Theodore has its risks of course. Theodore's history is to do well in the regular season and taper off in the playoffs. Remember last season? Game one against the Rangers Theodore looked awful and a much better Washington team went down 1 game to 0. If Boudreau's history in the AHL is any indication, he's not above a two goalie system in the playoffs. While Theodore may start, Boudreau would be quick to put in Varlamov if Theodore were to play poorly.

All of this of course is my speculation. A lot can change in the next month as Boudreau tweaks the lines. With one month left the Caps can really make sure they have the best lineup possible for a run at the Stanley Cup.

Expanding March Madness?

The Washington Post printed an interesting article talking about how many basketball enthusiasts want to see March Madness expanded. No doubt there are numerous brackets and systems people have created hoping that this will come to fruition. A larger bracket means more teams reaching the big stage who would otherwise not have much of a shot, such as William and Mary who will not make it unless they win the CAA tournament despite a great season with wins over Wake Forest and Maryland. The biggest reason, of course is money; more games means more money.

Before the NCAA runs to the bank, however, is this something that needs to happen? Why mess with success? College basketball does not suffer from the same problem as college football does. Everyone seems satisfied with the current system of deciding a national champion and while some people may have ideas of how they can make it better, there is no national movement to see this changed. If there is a criticism, it is the debate sparked by all the bubble teams that feel snubbed every year. Apart from the conference champions, there is no real system for deciding who gets an at large bid. Basically a bunch of people sit down and decide that team a is more deserving than team b for whatever reason. The diversity of the different teams and conferences as well as the random non conference scheduling really makes a definitive playoff system such as that which we see in pro sports impossible. Adding more slots will obviously allow for those bubble teams to comfortably make the tournament. This takes a lot of excitement from the push for March. It's a lot more exciting to see Notre Dame and Virginia Tech push themselves at the end of the season to hopefully get themselves across that threshold. Would people really tune in to watch William and Mary or Mercer push for that last 80th, 90th, or 100th spot? That would probably get about as much attention or even less than the play-in game between #64 and 65 currently does.

The more spots that are available, the less prestigious it is to earn one of those bids. The fact is that in a field of 65, it is huge for those mid major teams who win their conferences to make it to March madness. Those conference tournaments lose a lot of their luster and importance if multiple teams are already going to receive bids. That's why fans of the ACC or Big East are asking themselves why we have conference tournaments at all while fans of the CAA or Patriot League are watching every dribble. I understand the reasoning behind expanding the post season for many sports, but college basketball already has a 65 team playoff and every single team gets a chance to wipe the slate clean at the end of the season and qualify for March madness by winning their conference. To expand it any further would put more money in the pockets of those in charge but would decrease the importance of qualifying. That's not a fair trade in my book.

Chris Samuels Retires, Others Shown the Door

Chris Samuels, 32, announced today that he will be retiring from the NFL. He announced with his retirement that he has been dealing with a spinal condition called stenosis through out his career and after an injury against Carolina in the 2009 season, a doctor told him it was time to retire. "A lot of people, they've been praying for me to receive a miracle," he said. "But they really don't realize that I received a miracle when I got up off the field in North Carolina."

Samuels has been a starter ever since he was drafted number 3 overall in 2000. Since that time he has made the Pro Bowl six times. While he has already been given an internship to work with the team as a coach in the offseason, Samuels presence on the line will be sorely missed. The Redskins are a team already looking to rebuild and now they have to account for one of the few stable players on this team. Samuels leaves behind an already depleted offensive line.

Samuels wasn't the only departure today. Randy Thomas, Antwaan Randle El, Rock Cartwright, Fred Smoot, Cornelius Griffin, Ladell Betts, and Todd Collins were all among the players cut today. In a clear effort to clear up cap space, the Redskins released several veterans to make ready to rebuild the team. Some of these moves make little sense. I don't understand Randle El at all. Ok, so the Redskins have been trying to give more time to young receivers Malcom Kelly and Devin Thomas. Yet, Randle El had as big of an impact as both receivers last season even with reduced playing time. I really think the Redskins are seeing what they want to see here and not reality. Kelly and Thomas are not proven commodities yet and the Redskins are really gambling here with the assumption that they can handle the load.

Three of these cuts give us a great preview of what Washington will be looking for in free agency and the draft. Betts has been a dependable back up for Clinton Portis and Cartwright has been a huge asset on the special teams. Releasing them both tells me the Redskins are looking to make some moves for a running back. Brian Westbrook is available, but it would make little sense to sign him to backup Portis. He would be a great as a number two guy, but the Redskins need a guy who can also carry the load when Portis goes down. His durability does not make him a good fit, but it will be interesting to see what they try to do. Ladainian Tomlinson is also available, but he will come with a hefty price tag and I'm not sure he'll be too eager to come to a team that already has a number one back. The most important cut is that of Collins. Collins has stepped into several games in relief of a struggling Jason Campbell. I don't read his departure as an endorsement of Campbell, however. I believe it signals that the Redskins will be looking for Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen at the draft. Dare I hope that this is the beginning of the end for Campbell?

The question now for Daniel Snyder, Bruce Allen, and Mike Shanahann is how to begin rebuilding. With free agency set to start at midnight, Snyder is no doubt licking his chops again. While he has proven repeatedly that buying agents is not the way to build a winner, Samuels' departure may force his hand. The Redskins only get so many picks and we are all crossing our fingers that they will be taking a quarterback in the first round (at least I am). With an offensive line this bad, they may need Snyder to open up the check book and bring in some talent. He will probably have to have his arm twisted a bit though since he seems to hate spending money (sarcasm). A lot of the cuts made today, however, signal that the Redskins are looking to buy more than just an offensive line. Once again, they will try to buy their way out of the hole they've dug. How many more times will we have to watch this before Snyder learns it doesn't work? Let's hope Allen and Shanahan will know what moves to make and disconnect Snyder's phone.

Caps Make Deadline Move for Stanley Cup Push

The trade deadline has come and gone and the Washington Capitals have four new players from four different teams to use for their run at the Stanley Cup. The Capitals traded four draft picks, prospect Oskar Osala, and defenseman Brian Pothier, for winger Scott Walker, center Eric Belanger, and defenseman Milan Jurcina and Joe Corvo. Despite General Manger George McPhee expressing caution before the deadline he showed he was committed to making this team better. How'd he do?

Well, the first plus is that the Caps really didn't give up anything. This Washington team is young and affiliate Hershey is packed with top prospects. Draft picks are definitely valuable, but it's not really what they need right now and neither is Osala. Brian Pothier has been a great player for the Caps since he was brought in, but this was a good move. He really hasn't been the same since a concussion kept him out for over a year and he really has been in and out of the line up this season with injury problems. Durability was a major concern and this Washington team wants to make a long run this spring.

Despite having the best record in the league, there were some areas of concern for this team heading into the deadline and the post season. The major concern was goaltending. No moves were made there, but that's understandable. The Capitals already have three, all of whom are capable of great play, but can they keep it up? Can Varlamov stay healthy or Theodore keep up the pace? The Caps are poised to have a strong goalie situation in years to come with Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth. With all three playing well, it makes no sense to muddy the water further with another goalie. It would really undermine the confidence of Varlamov and Theodore and no one would get the playing time they needed or deserved.

With this in mind, what they desperately needed was defensive help. When the Caps announced that they had acquired Belanger and Walker, my initial reaction was why? They have the best offense in the league, there is no need for more players up front to ruin the lines that have worked so well and still leave the defense in question. But these two may actually boost the Capitals defense. Walker was not playing up to his potential in Carolina anymore. He adds a strong locker room presence and is also known for being a real tough, gritty player. He will best serve the caps if he replaces Erskine. Erskine has been a staple for the Capitals this season because he is the biggest fighter they have. Without an enforcer teams really go after Ovechkin. Erskine had to stay in the lineup, but he really doesn't have the talent to keep a regular spot on the team. If they don't need him, it opens up a spot for a better player.

Belanger is really needed to help on the penalty kill. Washington currently ranks 25th in penalty kill, which is awful. It is a real area of concern. A center is a big part of the penalty kill because faceoffs can kill a lot of time. The problem the Caps have is that their centers really aren't the gritty penalty kill type. Belanger adds another body on the penalty kill and a faceoff that can help the Caps clear the zone.

For the defensemen they did pick up, they might be a great fit, but it may not be far enough. The idea of trading for a defenseman we already traded away bothers me. Jurcina was splitting time with Erskine, Sloan, and Alzner. I think he is a good fit for the Caps, but what made them realize that now? If they brought him in to be a regular presence on the blue line, great. If they brought him in to split time again, then I really don't see the point. Corvo will be a great fit if he can recognize what he is being brought in for. The Caps can score. Everyone and their mother knows that. What they need is defense. Corvo is more of an offensive minded defenseman, like Mike Green. The problem is that he wasn't (or should not have been) brought in to score and so I have to wonder whether he was the right pick up for this team.

My initial reaction to the moves the Caps made today was 'eh,' but what you really have to realize is that this team did get better. That much is clear. As they were already the best team in the league, that means a lot. What also makes me feel good is how pumped Barry Melrose is. Watch the trade deadline video on ESPN.com. While I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about hockey, Melrose is one of the few people I will freely admit is miles ahead of me. When asked who got better today, the first thing he said was Washington. He clearly believes today's moves were the right moves. Let's hope it is enough to get us our first Stanley Cup.