1. Welcome to the latest stroll through the wandering mind of a Redskins fan. Sometimes Ten Yard Fight manages to stay on one point for ten full thoughts. Today is not one of those days, though I do have some thoughts on our potentially franchise-saving top draft pick.
2. I watched the Jon Gruden "Quarterback Camp" special last night featuring Robert Griffin III. Was it just me or did that episode have the least amount of critique and brow-beating you've seen on these specials in some time? I am used to seeing Gruden slobber all over these young quarterbacks, but it seemed a bit more than usual last night. He really seemed to genuinely love Griffin and his film. I wanted to see him drag out a few clips and say something like, "You know...you do this at the next level and you're out of a job!"
3. The fact that RG3 can carry 225 pounds or so and still generate the kind of speed he is capable of gets my juices flowing. I can't imagine that head coaches in the NFL are ever going to run him like Tebow, but the extra bulk does help him with some of the hits he will soon be taking.
4. One of the best things I saw was Gruden suggest that RG3 would be the fastest player to ever play the quarterback position. I liked that the conversation immediately went to Mike Vick. We have all been thinking it, right? Who is faster: RG3 or Vick? I have watched plenty of film on Vick and I have now officially seen a billion clips of RG3...Vick just always seems to be faster than everyone. I liked how RG3 called Vick "quicker" but stated that nobody was going to catch him in the open field. If Griffin is just as fast as Vick is (or was when he first came into the league) I think we will all be very happy.
5. There was way too much time spent on the show talking about Griffin's "celebrations." I mean...he twirled in reaction to a touchdown pass. He "pulled the string" a couple times. Come on, Gruden. That was worth a whole segment? To put a fine point on it: this whole episode seemed to be an excuse to put RG3 on the air with Gruden and not at all about X's and O's. Maybe that is because the Baylor offense seems to be so "simple." Does this make you more or less excited about Griffin? I have seen Gruden lay into guys on this show. There was NONE of that last night. Does that mean that RG3 is ready for primetime?
6. I came away from the show more impressed by Griffin--this has been the case pretty much every time I have spent time watching him do anything lately. Gruden is a quarterback lover and a quarterback collector, so it is ill-advised to put too much stock into his fawning. But there is clearly something to like...there is clearly something there to fall in love with come September.
7. Wait...they are taking MORE seats out of FedEx? That would be so weird except we have been predicting that for a while here at Hogs Haven. I wonder if they are slowly moving the seats to the site of a new stadium in D.C.? That would be awesome. The bottom line here is...the bottom line. They have not filled up FedEx for a long time--not with Redskins fans. The secondary market (scalpers, StubHub, etc.) is flush with tickets. The added standing room only area annoys me, but that seems to be the new "thing"--for teams that can't put a butt in all their existing seats.
8. Instead of yanking out thousands of seats, why not create a "Family Section" where parents can feel comfortable bringing their kids and spouses? Why not have a section where parents can be confident nobody is going to spill a beer on their kids or shout a string of obscenities within earshot of young listeners? I realize that those tickets could be subject to being scalped or sold to random folks, but you just post the rules of the section right there and have the ushers enforce them. One strike and you're out. If you curse or promote anything less than a family-friendly environment, you are gone.
9. There is no way I am bringing my wife, son or daughter to a game at FedEx anytime soon. Fights spill into the aisles, beers are dumped on innocent bystanders and the language is a bit on the rough side. It is football, I know, and FedEx is hardly the worst environment in the league, but we are the ones ripping out thousands of seats. This seems like a great opportunity to market to a segment that could be close to giving up on going to Redskins games--young families. (This also assumes that a young family can put a second mortgage on their home to afford the tickets for a season.)
10. I continue to believe that Dan Snyder is ostensibly dealing with a failure to sell seats, all the while readying FedEx Field to get a domed roof. That's right...FedEx will be domed and we will host Final Fours and Super Bowls. What about Dan Snyder would possibly cause you to think this is not a plausible explanation? If I am wrong, add it to the already long list. I think they are clearing the way for the structural support to be constructed to hold the dome though...and I look forward to seeing the Terps playing in a National Championship game there!