With the latest Portis quote, "the same passion I had playing for Coach Gibbs is not there," I think it's safe to say Portis' time is over. So, l'd just like to give Clinton the proper farewell he deserves.
When teams struggle like the Redskins have the last 20 years, it's easy to point the finger at the highest paid players as part of the problem. Clinton Portis is a Redskin who falls in the same category that so many of the other ex-Redskins big-named players fall into: "Let's bring him in and ask him to do something he's not." (Jason Taylor, Archuleta, Haynesworth, on and on). Portis had his best two years with Denver, and Gibbs decided to bulk him up and make him a pounding RB much like John Riggins was. Why, exactly? Who knows.
As much heat as Portis has taken over the years, I firmly believe a lot of it was undeserved. The relationship Clinton and Gibbs had was undeniable, and the former Hurricane RB did everything that was asked of him, including playing hurt. There was four, FOUR, seasons Portis had with the Redskins where he had 325+ carries. That is absurd. Steven Jackson has only done that twice in his relatively healthy career.
I can't speak for everyone, but I've worked on jobs where I've had no respect for my boss. My work suffered. The Redskins locker room sucked during the Zorn era, and I'm not a fan that blames Portis for slacking off. He played hard on Sunday for an OLine and front office that was beyond criminal. All said and done, Portis will be joining the Ring of Fame and we will all be cheering.
In regards to all the costumes, it's easy for fans to say, "He should be focusing on practicing," but the truth is he's just having fun. He's an entertaining guy, and for one, I hope he doesn't just fade away post-retirement. He has a fantastic personality, tells it like it is, and most importantly, makes us laugh.
After the jump are my 5 favorite Portis moments:
5.) Clinton Portis lighting up Eugune Wilson (2010) - A lot of Redskins fans thought Portis was done after 2009 - myself included. His off-season workout program and strong play early in the season was awesome to see.
4.) 25 carries, 104 yards, 2 TDs week 17 to beat Dallas 27-6 and make the playoffs (2007) - His yards from scrimmage during the four-game winning streak: 122, 126, 124 and 131. Interesting moment was all the players post-game talking about how the Redskins beat Dallas by 21 points.
3.) His ridiculous block on Mathias Kiwanuka
2.) His first carry as a Redskins vs TAM (2004) - 64-yard TD to the house.
1.) He shows the Sean Taylor shirt post-TD vs Bills (2007)