Playoff Picture

The Dolphins have rebounded superbly, the Colts are on a tear, the Eagles are freaking frightening, and the Falcons are tough to beat. Clearly, before we settle into March Madness, we have some January craziness to figure out.

How will the next few weeks play out?

Portis v. Zorn: Pick A Side

I choose Portis, hands down.

Portis has played most of the season injured. He has the biggest heart of anyone on the Skins or in the NFL for that matter. I am livid that Zorn would call out Portis. He clearly doesn't understand the concept of "team." This year, Zorn has thrown individual players and units under the bus--Chris Samuels, for one. The offensive line as a whole. Do I think that players should be held accountable? Absolutely. But I think Portis has been accountable and more.

Heart? This is a guy that was once injured in a game making a linebacker-esque tackle on a play. He blocks. He's a receiver. He's a running back. He plays hurt. He has had enormous success on two teams--Denver and Washington. We traded a shutdown corner--Champ Bailey--for him. He's more than made up for that decision.

Zorn? Prove something first, then take on individual players.

Houston's Problem? Comets Disbanded

The WNBA's Houston Comets franchise recently was disbanded. Having won the first four WNBA titles, this was one of the league's most successful franchises.

Is this the beginning of the end for the WNBA or is this simply an isolated situation?

So Long, Sorenstam

Annika Sorenstam's LPGA Tour career ended—on American soil, at least—with a missed cut at the ADT Championship in Florida. (She will play events in Singapore and Dubai before officially hanging up her spikes.) Let it be clear, though, that this ending in no way tarnishes her career.

Annika is not an NBA player, limping off the court after bouncing around from team to team, trying to collect a paycheck at the tail end of a once-glorious career.

Nor is she a so-so quarterback who's been in and out of the league and called upon only as a desperation hire for an injury-depleted team.

Sure, the Hall of Famer played in only 13 events in 2007 because of a back injury, but she finished in the top 10 in six of those events.

Annika, with her trophy case of victories, was and is much, much more.

Redskins vs. Cowboys: The Rivalry Continues

No Portis.
A Rusty Romo.

Which team will overcome its shortcoming and prevail?

Cup Runneth Over

Over the weekend, sports fans had their pick of events. There was an intense SEC battle, patriotism on the line, and an historic ending in baseball. What held your attention this weekend?

On Saturday night, in a battle of Tigers, LSU (6) launched a late comeback to edge Auburn (10) in an SEC clash. Ohio State (13) had an unimpressive 28-10 victory over Troy, a team it should have beaten by a much wider margin.

In golf, the Americans defeated the Europeans to claim the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1999. Rookie Anthony Kim defeated Sergio Garcia, 5-4, in one of Sunday’s most exciting matches.

In the NFL, Miami posted an un-Dolphin like blowout of the Patriots, 38-13. In addition, there were two overtime games (Giants-Bengals and Bucs-Bears) and other thrillers, namely down-to-the-wire battles between the Colts-Jags and Broncos-Saints.

For those in a nostalgic mood on Sunday, there were seven hours of pregame coverage leading up to the Orioles-Yankees contest, the final game that will ever be played at Yankee Stadium.

Finally, the Emmys offered another form of entertainment. Will Tina Fey (aka, Sarah Palin) win an award for her role on “30 Rock,” and will Hugh Laurie finally be properly recognized for his portrayal on “House.” Stay tuned.

So, what were your viewing habits this weekend?

At Canton, Shades of Cooperstown

In July 2007, I trekked to Cooperstown to watch as Cal Ripken was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. As a lifelong Orioles fan, I felt proud to see an overwhelmingly pro-Ripken crowd—a supportive sea of Black and Orange and 8s. Tony Gwynn was also inducted during that ceremony. Ripken and Gwynn were class acts, and folks in the crowd speculated about when or if we would ever again see such an untainted, upstanding, classy duo go into the Hall of Fame.

Fast forward to Saturday, August 2, the day history repeated itself. This time, however, it was a sea of Burgundy and Gold and 81s and 28s and Hog Noses and, of course, Chief Zee. This time, the stage was in Canton, and the untainted, upstanding, classy duo was Redskins Darrell Green and Art Monk.

Green, the speedster cornerback who played more the 20 years with the Redskins, punctuated his speech by saying that he belonged in Canton and that he deserved to be here because, as a Christian man, an upstanding man, a faithful man, a man, he knew what to do with the fame, fortune, talent and voice he was given. In other words, he knows that with all that he has been given, he never took it for granted, using his talents for good. (Between the lines, this appears to be a shot at many of the oft-spoiled, disrespectful, superstar players who get into trouble and blow a great opportunity to do something positive with their time in the spotlight.)

Greeted by a four-plus minute standing ovation and cheers of “It’s About Time, It’s About Time,” Art Monk was the last enshrinee to take the stage. Monk, a record-breaking wide receiver with the Redskins, expressed his appreciation for being inducted, but he made it very clear that he was complete before this honor was bestowed upon him. Over the years, he said, fans would come up to him and tell him that he belonged in Canton, and that he was always appreciative of the support he received from the Washington community. However, he let it be known that he was already complete because of his faith, his community work, and the way he lived his life. The Hall of Fame was the cherry on top.

Cooperstown and Canton.

Gwynn and Ripken.

Green and Monk.

Upstanding and Classy.

We've Arrived, Unfortunately

Bonnie Bernstein, nervously, compared high school basketball players to Palestinian suicide bombers on a recent airing of the Mike and Mike in the Morning Show.

Jemele Hill recently was suspended by ESPN for writing in her online column that “rooting for the Celtics was like saying Hitler was a victim,” among other not-so-nice things.

And early this year, the Golf Channel suspended anchor Kelly Tilghman for two weeks for saying that young players who wanted to challenge Tiger Woods should “lynch him in a back alley.”

Ladies, we have arrived. But do we have to do everything our male counterparts do?

Yes, we want to play with the big boys. We want a shot at the top sports beats at the big newspapers. We want to saddle up next to John Anderson and Stuart Scott as we read sports to all of America from the other anchor seat. And we’re still looking for a serious shot at the mike in a major city (We would love the sound of the Anna and Anna Morning Radio Show).

And most importantly, we want to be respected for our C-erebrum, not our C-Cup.

But somewhere along the way, some of us took the saying “Anything you can do, I can do better” a little too far. After all, we don’t want to fart, burp, scratch or make other strange noises at will, do we? We’re ladies, after all.

Now, we’ve got a reel it in. After all, as women, we can’t nail Imus to the wall about dissing our fellow basketball-playing sisters, then turn around and do the same thing in print, on television, or over the radio.

Working in the sports industry is nothing new for women, but we shouldn’t be so comfortable that we begin to make the mistakes of our male counterparts. Besides, we don’t want to give the hiring folks (read: men) any other reasons to think we can’t handle the job. Tell me I don’t know my sports as well as the next guy, and I’ll call you a liar. But, if these folks were to pull out a column or a tape of some of my inappropriate comments, then he would have me dead to rights. It’s indefensible (although nobody’s perfect).

As women often say—including those who blog on this site—we don’t want to be treated like men. We wanted to be treated better!

But that starts with behaving better than them.

Father’s (and Daughter’s) Day

The Date: Several Sundays throughout my childhood

The Place: Washington, D.C., and its surrounding areas

The Event: A family gathering

The Scene: The men are in the living room watching football; the women have migrated to the kitchen. I was the one interloper, sitting on my father’s lap, asking him questions about the Redskins. What’s all the screaming about? How was the game played? What was going on? Why did it matter so much to the men in the room? My father never shooed me away or sent me off to my mother’s side. Instead, he plopped me on his lap and taught me the rules.

It was my springboard to becoming a sportswriter. Later, my older brother would continue the tradition, teaching me the ins and outs of sports. I became a sportswriter through the support of my father and brother.

Today, I salute both of these men, these fathers, on Father’s Day.

And because I believe the old adage goes both ways … behind every woman, there’s also a good man (or two).

12th Man (and a Baby)

My kid sister is expecting a baby.

This September.

The second Sunday of September.

Football season.

This was my response when she came to me, smiling, to share the big news: “You know, that’s football season, don’t you?” She didn’t quite seem to get it.

Her response: “So.”

I had to sit her down to explain to her the implications of her decision. I spelled out my plans for the fall—football, followed by more football, baseball playoffs, NHL and NBA—and then I told her that having a baby at all in the fall was simply out of the question.

She went on to lecture me about Mother Nature and how the baby will come when she comes. That was when she dropped another bomb on me. She wants me to be in the room with her during the delivery. I told her, sure, as long as she delivers on a Tuesday or Wednesday. I’m a sports junkie, after all. Am I really needed in the room? Or at the hospital? Or even in the same state? What purpose will I serve? Giving play by play as my sister pushes, screams, curses and repeats.

Thursday nights, particularly with the advent of the NFL Network, are becoming more of a football night.

Fridays nights in the fall are completely set aside for high school football, a big deal in small towns across America such as my hometown.

On Saturday, I’m glued to the tube for college football.

On Sundays in the fall, don’t even think about it—it’s NFL from noon until the end of the Sunday night game.

Finally, the cherry on top, is the “Monday Night Football” matchup.

That leaves Tuesday and Wednesday for my sister’s delivery.

She’s checking her schedule.

I’m holding my breath.

Fighting Like A Girl

CBS' coverage of EliteXC's mixed martial arts debuted on Saturday night, with real live analysts, interviews, features and the like. This, some will say, makes it official--MMA has gone mainstream.

However, many folks who follow any underground scene--whether it's MMA, UFC, rock bands or hip hop artists--have not been waiting for CBS or any other network to swoop in to validate it by dedicating a night of coverage and a guaranteed wider audience. The underground scene has always continued to thrive.

Large or small stage aside, Saturday night's MMA was entertaining, controversial and brutal--none of which was changed because there was a national camera shining upon it and a Saturday night audience in tow. In short, with 2, 200, 200 or 2 million fans, the action warranted the spotlight.

One of the highlights of the evening was a battle between Gina "Conviction" Carano and Kaitlin Young in the night's 140-pound bout. It was entertaining and brutal, with Carano coming out on top. There was no screaming or squealing, no slapping, no windmill swings, no hair pulling, no bikinis and no mud--sorry, fellas.

Carano features Boxing, Jujitsu, Mixed Martial Arts and Muay Thai as part of her attack. Young's style includes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Combat Submission Wrestling, Kickboxing, Mixed Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Tae kwon do. Dare we even mention that one of her favorite movies is "There Will Be Blood." These women are kick ass by day, and killer by night.

At the end of the bout, after “Conviction” was announced the winner, she reached out to Kaitlin and gave her a "nice job" peck on the cheek.

Sisterhood, through and through.

Eight Belles: Short, but Sweet

It was to have been an exciting day for Eight Belles.

She was the only female horse—the lone philly—to appear in the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby. She hung in tough with the “boys,” finishing second to Big Brown, the UPS colt, in her debut race against male horses. Her handlers hardly had any time to celebrate her courageous showing before the unthinkable happened. During her cool down, she suffered irreversible injuries to both front ankles and fell to the ground. Moments later, she was euthanized. In what should have been an incredible day for the Big Brown camp, now was overshadowed by this tragedy.

Soon, I suspect, we’ll here from opposing camps regarding Eight Belles’ fate. One side may say horse racing is cruelty to animals, and that Eight Belles’ demise is a direct result of said cruelty. She shouldn’t have been rushed to the starting gate, in such a big event, on such a big stage. In short, it was too much, too soon.

Another camp might counter that these horses are treated like family members—heck, better—than the relatives of the owners and trainers who are involved in their care. They receive top-notch care and attention and are brought along slowly.

In a short time, Eight Belles triggered a lot of emotions from a lot of different people. Women, near and far, were placing bets and rooting for her as a show of support for gender pride. Men were hoping some of her “Lady Luck” would rub off on them.

When it was all over, we were only left with sadness. Our excitement had taken a fall, too.

Congratulations, Danica Patrick

Congratulations, Danica.

And, no, you don't have to win a thousand more titles to be considered significant. How many other people—men—on the circuit have not won, yet no one is calling them insignificant.

AO and Sid the Kid

Do the NHL playoffs need Alexander Ovechkin—one of a handful of young, marquee players? Well, if the Caps don’t make a quick fix, the playoffs will continue without him. The Caps are trailing the Flyers in their first-round playoff series, and they appear to be off their game. The Caps’ absence—AO’s absence-- shouldn’t be a big deal, right? After all, the playoffs have been without the Caps (with or without AO) for the past five years. Who’s gonna miss them?

Well, if you believe the marketing hype, the NHL will.

Without AO, that will leave Sid the Kid and a host of other veterans to carry the weight of a shaky league.

In my opinion, playoff hockey can’t be beat. Even without Sid and AO, that fact still stands.

A Girl Can Dream, Can't She?

Billy Crystal is my idol. So are Garth Brooks and Tom Selleck. Sure, their bodies of work might be impressive, but mostly I’m envious of their other claim to fame: All three of these entertainers have suited up with their favorite sports team.

Funny guy Crystal, just shy of his 60th birthday, struck out in his only at-bat as a big leaguer with the Yankees—yes, those Yankees—during an exhibition game. Brooks and Selleck had done it previously.

This got me to thinking what my dream sports moment would be. I’ve narrowed it down to a couple:

1. Being in the Redskins backfield on fourth and goal with the game on the line.
2. Landing the perfect triple salchow to skate to Olympic gold
3. Standing in for the NBA general manager who has to decide between Tyler Hansbrough and Michael Beasley
4. Riding shotgun with Little E at Daytona

If you could use your “celebrity,” what dream would you fulfill?

Football Hangover: 30 Days Without Booze

Now that football season is over, it’s time to shed those pesky pounds we’ve been hiding under those tent-like Redskins jerseys and extra large Raiders T-shirts. Too many of us spent the past six months competing Buffalo wing for Buffalo wing and beer for beer with our husbands, boyfriends and significant others. Now it’s time to redeem ourselves and get back to our healthy habits. With this plan, you don’t have to worry about cutting back on your favorite foods— this weight loss method focuses instead on altering your drinking habits.

I recently read an article about women who had been trying to lose weight. Many were stunned to learn they had been consuming, in some cases, more than 2,000 calories per week in alcoholic beverages alone. Their intake usually included a couple of glasses of wine, a handful of beers or a few cocktails each night. They thought this was pretty harmless, but as many of you know, those calories can really add up over the course of a week. Furthermore, when you drink, your ability to sustain healthy eating habits becomes tougher.

The women in the article faced this challenge: Give up all alcoholic beverages for 30 days. Each subject lost weight, ranging from 5-15 pounds, having made only this one change. They didn’t alter their eating or exercise habits at all—in fact, many weren’t on any type of nutritional or activity program at all.

What if you were asked to go 30 days without alcohol? Is this a plan that could work for you? Try it and see.

Female Sports Executives: Going, Going, Gone?

In the span of three years, the sports world has lost a handful of pioneering female executives from the ranks of very few.

Marge Schott, the cantankerous and often controversial owner of the Cincinnati Reds, died in 2004. She was the first woman to buy—rather than inherit—a major league baseball team.

Susan O’Malley became the first female president of a major professional sports franchise when she was selected in 1991 to helm the Washington Bullets (later known as the Wizards). O’Malley was only 29 when she was elevated to her post as right-hand woman to owner Abe Pollin. She resigned last June, although she still consults with the organization.

And on Friday, Georgia Frontiere, the owner of the St. Louis Rams, passed away. She was 80. Frontiere took over the team after the untimely death of her sixth husband, Carroll Rosenbloom, in 1979. Under her leadership, the Rams made the playoffs 13 times and advanced to three Super Bowls.

For years, women have been making strides in key positions in sports and other male-dominated areas as well as with Fortune 500 companies. And to be fair, there are still a number of women executives playing significant roles in sports, most notably Sheila Johnson, co-owner/partner of the Washington Capitals, Mystics and Wizards, and Jeanie Buss, executive vice president of business operations for the Los Angeles Lakers. Is there always room for more? I hope so, particularly in the NFL.

With Frontiere’s death, the city of St. Louis will have a lot to miss. She lived a colorful life—she was married seven times and once worked as a chorus girl. But she also was a pivotal businesswoman, a philanthropist and the owner of an NFL team.

Most of all, she was the lady amongst the NFL’s men.

Giants v. Cowboys: Lesser of Two Evils

I've gotta tell you, this is a really good game, but a tough game to watch. Being a 'Skins fan, I can't decide which of these teams I dislike more. Naturally, it's Dallas, but there's some pretty strong disdain for the Giants, too.

I find myself rooting for the Giants, but just barely.

Bolts v. Colts: Is Peyton One and Done?

I love Peyton, but I was happy to see LT's team win today. No LT for much of the game, no Rivers late in the game. San Diego still held on. I wonder, as far as Super Bowl's go, is Peyton one and done?