Call of the Day: Worried For Jack Kogod’s Health After Chelsea & Redskins Epic Failures

Blogs are fun, especially when you can take a huge Monday morning in sports and make it about the health and well-being of a fellow blogging friend. Or, you know, twist the knife a little by posting two of the most epic failures of the weekend in one entry, both crushing results for Jack Kogod of KSK.

First, let’s post a video of Chelsea’s Didier Drogba getting stoned on a penalty kick that would have won a match for Chelsea. Instead of sitting atop the Premier League standings with a road win over Tottenham, Chelsea looks to be in big trouble in England’s top division, behind Arsenal and Man City in points (with Arsenal having a game in hand) and, oh yeah, tied with Manchester United, despite United having played TWO fewer matches (they play this afternoon in England’s version of Monday Night Football.)

So here’s the Fox Soccer Channel replay of Drogba’s miss. How to make this into a media post and not just a rip on Kogod? Well, Warren Barton gave credit to Chelsea for playingREAD MORE

Fine I’ll Bite. Here’s the Chad Dukes Epic Redskins Rant

Look, Steinberg had this link yesterday and I debated posting it but now it’s funneled into every third Tweet I’m reading so here it is: Washington Redskins fan and talk radio host Chad Dukes “how dare you”-ing the Redskins after their epic loss to Philly. It’s epic. Epic. EPIC.

Dukes and LaVar Arrington host a show on 106.7 The Fan DC from 2-7p.m. which means this rant came at least 14 hours after the game was over and at least eight hours into most listeners sports talk daily intake. I’m not saying it’s phony for the sake of getting attention. I’m certain that Dukes was being heart felt and not just inflammatory for the sake of Steinberg (and then the rest of us) giving the show more attention. So the “epic” nature of it is likely genuine.

I just can’t stand the “how dare you” and “you should turn in your keys” and, especially “millionaire athletes” and “you owe us money.”

Teams lose. Teams get blown out. The Denver Broncos lost a rivalry game to the Raiders (THEREAD MORE

DL476: Jamie Mottram and Jack Kogod React To The Donovan McNabb Contract

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

My first thought when I heard the news that Donovan McNabb just got a five-year deal worth somewhere in the area of $78 million bucks? How is Kogod handling this? It turns out, he had jury duty, so he wasn’t even around to take part in the Twitter carnage.

Jamie Mottram was, however, writing: “The Redskins re-signing McNabb appears to have broken not only Twitter but also my heart.”

So, with that, the three of us talk about the deal, why it happened now, what it means for the future of the Redskins and what it means for guys like Michael Vick who will use this deal to set the market. Or do the Redskins seemingly have their own market with deals like this.

In Philly, we’d think this deal was made because the Eagles are jealous of the Phillies. With the likes of Ovechkin and Wall in town, is this deal an attention grabber for the Redskins or is that town 99.9% football anyway (note: it’s the latter).

It’s a fun show. Well,READ MORE

DL473: Steinberg On McNabb, Shanahan, Feinstein & Brinson On NFL, Rivers and Cam Newton

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Two shows in one! Dan Steinberg and Will Brinson on today’s show. It’s a bloggin’ good time.

First, who wants to listen to two Jews in their 30s talk about racism in the NFL? You do? Fantastic!

Steinberg and I talk about the Donovan McNabb and Mike Shanahan situation that has gotten way bigger than Shanahan ever could have imagined. Is there racism involved? Is “the race card” (I hate that term) being played here as a crutch or is there more to the situation and Shanahan’s comments just struck a nerve with people in DC? And why, seriously, does this happen all the time with McNabb? Is it because he’s the best black quarterback in the game right now? Is it because people want — expect — him to be better than he actually is? And when will we realize that constantly bringing up the racial divide in situations where it (likely) wasn’t intended does more to widen it than close it?

Two Jews talking NFL and racism.

We also touch on JohnREAD MORE

Can We Start Demanding Media Outlets Fire Writers Who Demand Coaches Be Fired?

Steinberg posted this yesterday morning and I wanted to treat it as nothing more than a bloviating media saying that yet another coach should be fired. In other words, ignore it.

Listen to somewhere around the three-minute mark for John Feinstein’s comments, or read this, via Steinbog:

“The situation with Shanahan and McNabb has gotten completely out of control,” Feinstein says, above. “Shanahan simply won’t say ‘I made a mistake. I got mad at Donovan, I put Rex Grossman in the game and it was a mistake.’ Instead, the first spin is that he doesn’t know the terminology of the two-minute offense, i.e. he’s stupid. The next day, it’s, well, his cardiovascular, he’s out of shape, i.e. he’s fat. Now, he’s leaking to Chris Mortensen — who is culpable in this, too, because I guarantee he didn’t call Donovan McNabb for a response — that we had to cut the playbook in half because of McNabb.

“I think there’s racial coding going on here, and it’s my belief that that kind of behavior is worth firing a coach for.READ MORE

Eagles Monday Night Game To Air On ESPN, Bumped For Dancing on ABC

I don’t know why the NFL still has the rule where any game on cable — or not on over-the-air TV — has to be rebroadcast in local markets so everyone can see it. I don’t think the NBA nor MLB have that rule, but the NFL sticks with it so everyone can see the game no matter if you have 1500 channels or a set of old rabbit ears. (Note, this could be some FCC regulation but I’m too lazy to look it up. Not really the point of this anyway).

Philly.com reports that this Monday, with the Eagles traveling to Washington for Monday night’s game against the Redskins, fans can see the game on ESPN or MYPHL17 and not 6ABC. Why? Because of dancing:

Since the semifinals of Dancing with the Stars are scheduled for Monday night on 6ABC, the Eagles-Redskins Monday Night Football game will be shown on MYPHL17, including a pregame special produced by the Action News sports team.

The pregame special is set to start at 8 p.m. on MYPHL17, with the kickoff scheduled for 8:30. TheREAD MORE

T.O. Would Like to Take This Opportunity to Chime In On Donovan McNabb’s Two-Minute Ability

What’s amazing about Donovan McNabb’s career is that despite being, at the same time, one of the most beloved and maligned figures in the recent history of the game, nobody has ever questioned his work ethic before. Until now, of course when anyone with a microphone seems to be throwing him under a bus for not being in good enough shape to run a two-minute drill.

Was Andy Reid covering for McNabb’s poor practice habits all those years in Philadelphia? Are former teammates starting to speak out now because the cat is out of the bag in Washington so there’s nothing to lose by corroborating it? If McNabb’s lack of effort during the week has something to do with why he was pulled in favor of Rex Grossman for a two-minute drill on Sunday, is this something that has been an issue in the past?

Taken with a giant grain of salt, it’s interesting to hear what Terrell Owens said in response to Chad Ochocinco putting Mike Shanahan “On Blast” on Tuesday night’s episode of Versus’ T.OchoREAD MORE

DL466: Giants World Series, Moss & McNabb and Phillip Stutts GOPs Election Knowledge On Me

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Pat Burrell has two World Series rings. Let that soak in, folks.

Nick and I talk about the World Series, including the admission that Tim McCarver actually had some really good moments in last night’s game. Take, for example, the moment where he told us that Cliff Lee should pitch around Edgar Renteria to get to Aaron Rowand. McCarver was spot on with that. Sure, he comes off as somewhat of a simple baseball mind, but every so often he makes the comment that could have prevented one team from getting eliminated in the World Series.

We also talk about the fact that Pat Burrell has two World Series rings.

Oh, and we touch on many other baseball topics, including Jon Morosi’s Fox Sports column about Renteria which led to this tweet:

I’d put Renteria right up there with Elway, Bettis and Bourque. Any other good examples? http://bit.ly/b3fvXy #SFGiants#Steelers #Broncos

Yes, Edgar Renteria was just compared to John Elway. Nick and I dissect that notion, even if it was, in fact, Renteria’s last game.

Nick and I then quicklyREAD MORE

DL465: Anniversaries, World Series, Cliff Lee, Dallas Freakout, McNabb Benching & Notre Dame

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Usually on a busy day I’ll put up a Photoshop collage of all the things Nick and I discuss. Today, you’ll have to listen and read. Sorry.

First, it’s my seventh wedding anniversary today. Time flies when you’re (insert joke here).

We talk about the student manager who died at Notre Dame and what the team should have done (and school will have to do) in the wake of this accident. Nick was a basketball student manager so he adds some insight into the situation from that perspective.

We discuss the World Series and how a bunch of good pitchers, rookies and spare parts are a game away from a parade. It’s inexplicable. Can Cliff Lee save the day in an elimination game in the World Series two years in a row? Will it matter for the Rangers?

We talk about Dallas’s football situation and wonder if people care more about the Rangers this week because they knew the Cowboys were already dead. Still, losing to the Jaguars, who are maybe the worst 4-4READ MORE

Will Donovan McNabb Get Booed This Weekenzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The hot topic in the NFL this week is Donovan McNabb’s return to Philadelphia. And while most people should care about the fact that the Eagles were rebuilding with Kevin Kolb and are suddenly contending with Michael Vick or the fact that McNabb could play at a Pro Bowl level and it still may not help the Washington Redskins avoid a 1-3 start that sure a heck looks like 1-6 if they can’t win on Sunday, it seems most conversation surrounding this game starts with whether or not McNabb is going to get booed when he runs out of the tunnel.

Here’s CSN Washington’s Brian Mitchell — who played in Philly as well as Washington — talking with Andy Reid (via DC Sports Bog):

“They remember the good times,” Reid told Brian Mitchell, when asked about Eagles fans. “They might give him the business during the game or something, but he’ll get a great reception.”

Later, B Mitch asked if McNabb got a fair shake in Philly.

“Absolutely,” Reid said. “I think the organization does these different polls around theREAD MORE