Arenas Scores 60 On Kobe ... Is He The Biggest Thing In Area Sports?

This area is dominated by Redskins coverage, so normally you'd think the most famous Redskin is instantly the biggest local sports star.

But a couple weeks ago, Washington Wizard Gilbert Arenas released his signature Adidas shoe. Then "Agent 0" shirts started popping up all over the place (I want one). And then last night he busted 60 points on Kobe Bryant in L.A.

Who is the biggest star in the Beltway Sports world? Gilbert Arenas (Wizards) Alexander Ovechkin (Capitals) Ray Lewis (Ravens) Steve McNair (Ravens) Joe Gibbs (Redskins) Clinton Portis (Redskins) Sean Taylor (Redskins) Miguel Tejada (Orioles) Umm ... Nick Johnson? (Nationals)    Free polls from Pollhost.com

So that got me thinking: Who is the biggest star in the Beltway Sports world?

My first task was to narrow it down to one player per team. Much like Michigan coming in second in the Big Ten and still thinking they should have been in the national championship game, how can you be the biggest star in the area if you're not the biggest star on your own team?

I then decided that, since football is the king of American sports at the moment, the NFL teams could each have one defensive and one offensive representative in the poll.

So here's who I came up with:

*Gilbert Arenas (Wizards) - The shoes, the shirts, the scoring prowess ... Gil's even got the craziness that leads one to give an opposing coach the finger (times two) and get an elaborate system set up in one's house so that one can train and live in higher altitude conditions for better stamina. It seemed like Arenas spent the offseason making a name for himself as a personality, and now he's proving again that he's one of the best players in the NBA. Yet he wasn't going to be an all-star last year until Jermaine O'Neal got hurt, and Coach Rat Face Krzyzewski supposedly would have cut Arenas from Team USA had he not "suffered a groin injury" and taken himself out of contention.

*Alexander Ovechkin (Capitals) - One of the top two or three stars in the NHL right now ... but that's like saying "one of the top two or three comics on MADtv." It's hard to be the biggest star in the area when you're on the least talked-about team (in the "big four" sports, anyway), but he won the Calder Trophy last year for the NHL's top rookie and he is currently tied for the league lead in goals with Marian Hossa and Brendan Shanahan.

*Ray Lewis (Ravens) - The guy's got an MVP award, and the only other person on this list who can say that is his teammate, Steve McNair. Unlike McNair, Ray Ray brought a Super Bowl to this area. That's something no other player on the list can say. His off-the-field issues with the law seem to be far behind him, but I think it's always somewhat limited his superstar status.

*Steve McNair (Ravens) - If you're simply going by "whose every game is scrutinized and written about the most?," McNair is probably only behind Joe Gibbs in that category. Acquiring McNair gave the Ravens instant championship credibility, but the fact that his best years were all in Tennessee may hurt his chances in this poll.

*Joe Gibbs (Redskins) - Gibbs coached the Redskins to three Super Bowls in 12 years before retiring to do NASCAR stuff, then saying he could never work for Dan Snyder, then doing just that when Danny backed the cash truck up on his front lawn. Back when Gibbs was winning Super Bowls with Mark Rypien at quarterback this probably would have been a no-brainer -- or even when Gibbs first returned in 2004 -- but now he's in the midst of his second losing season in the three years since his return.

*Clinton Portis (Redskins) - The only local star who tries harder than Arenas to propel himself into the limelight is Portis, who has made a habit of putting on wacky outfits for press interviews. This season he also made a habit of getting hurt and now Ladell Betts is making 100-yard games look easy.

*Sean Taylor (Redskins) - Like Ray Lewis, Taylor is a ferocious hitter and a defensive leader. Also like Lewis, Taylor has some serious allegations on his rap sheet.

*Miguel Tejada (Orioles) - Tejada made headlines in the 2005-2006 offseason when he asked the Orioles to ship him out of town because he was tired of losing. He later backed off, then went out and posted monster numbers for a mediocre Orioles team despite trade rumors following him all season. Miggy batted .330, hit 24 home runs and knocked in 100, but many fans thought he lacked the enthusiasm and hustle that he showed when he first came to the O's in 2004.

*Nick Johnson (Nationals) - It was hard to pick a star from the Nationals now that Alfonso Soriano signed a megadeal with the Cubs, but while rookie Ryan Zimmerman got a lot of love last year, Nick Johnson is still the Nationals' best player. His .948 OPS in 2006 was good for eighth in the National League, better than New York golden boy David Wright, better than Braves slugger Andruw Jones and, get this, better than 2006-teammate Soriano. His injury history has been a problem, though, and 2006 was the first year he missed less than 30 games.

So who do you think the local sports world revolves around the most?

I'll post the results and some thoughts later.

Long Weekend: Good For Pro Football, Bad For Everything Else

Chronologically:

Wednesday night the Capitals got beat, 4-2, by the Atlanta Thrashers who I am gaining a solid hatred for. The Caps got into a couple fights with less than five minutes remaining and in the new NHL that means suspensions. Donald Brashear got three games and Brian Sutherby got one.

Later that night, the Wizards lost a decently close game in Houston, 86-82, their second loss in a row.

Thursday there was turkey and stuffing and Miami beating Boston College in football, meaning the Terps could win the ACC Atlantic Division with a win over Wake Forest at home on Saturday.

Friday the Maryland basketball team came out sloppy against High Point (isn't that a high school?), but won by 18 anyway. Then the Caps and Wizards played that night and it was bad.

I went to the Caps game and watched as they were completely dismantled by the Maple Leafs, 7-1. The Caps were without Brashear and Sutherby, but still, 7-1?

Meanwhile, the Wiz were in Memphis getting their asses handed to them by the Grizz, 95-80, and it wasn't even that close. It was the Wizards seventh straight loss on the road to open the season.

Saturday brought opportunities for redemption and celebration, but there would be none. The Caps went to Long Island and got beat, 4-1, by the Islanders. It was the Capitals' sixth straight loss, dropping them to 8-9-6.

The Wizards were at home against Detroit hoping to shake off the terrible road trip but it was not to be, and they lost 115-111 to fall to 4-9.

Maryland's football team couldn't stop the Fake Worest running game, and the Deacons ran for 296 yards in a 38-24 win that gets them into the ACC Championship. The Terps now get to sit and wait to see what bowl game they're headed to.

On Sunday the pro football teams managed to salvage some good in the weekend. The Redskins beat the Panthers, 17-13, with Jason Campbell earning his first NFL win. Chris Cooley showed why it's a tough game if you can't tackle, scoring the winning touchdown on a 66-yard passing play that saw Cooley break two tackles before heading in for the score. The 'Skins are now 4-7 and face struggling Atlanta at home on Sunday.

The Ravens absolutely crushed the hated Steelers, 27-0, embarrassing Ben Roethlisberger (I'm not looking up how to spell that so if it's wrong that's too bad) and the Steelers' O-line to the tune of nine sacks. The Burgh only managed 36 yards in the first half. It was so bad, Ravens coach Brian Billick actually replaced Steve McNair with Kyle Boller with more than 10 minutes left in the game. Take that, Steel town!

In other competitive and athletic sporting competition, I dominated my brother in Wii Sports bowling but we kept playing until my leg got tired and he beat me.

Question: Should I be embarrassed that I got tired playing a video game?

Answer: Not when it's Wii Sports.

Monday the Orioles signed former all-star but currently mediocre reliever Danys Baez to a 3-year, $19 million deal that could only possibly make sense to a team with a bullpen as bad as the Orioles.

The big news around the globe today, of course, is that Busted Tees, a site I visit semi-frequently, stole my brilliant shirt idea and is undoubtedly profiting from it an immeasurable number of times more than I could ever hope to.

In local sports tonight it's Ball State vs. No. 14 Georgetown at Verizon Center. The big story in this game is that G'Town coach John Thompson III will be taking on his brother, Ball State coach Ronny Thompson. The game starts at 7:30 and you can catch in on TV on MASN.

Ten Random Midweek Thoughts

1. With 11 games left in each team's season, the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles have identical records (66-85). That means to avoid a 90-loss season, they will need to go 7-4 to finish out the year. Don't hold your breath. Also, isn't it sad that I'm offering the avoidance of a 90-loss season as some barometer of success? Ouch.

2. The Capitals start up their preseason tonight, which means about as much as the NFL preseason but probably with less injuries, more fighting (as young tough guys try to make an impression) and more Alexander Ovechkin.

3. We Are Scientists is a good band. Kind of like The Killers meet Franz Ferdinand.

4. D.C. United seems to be mailing it in with the MLS East practically decided. Since tying Real Madrid in a friendly match on August 9, D.C. has won 2, tied 5 and lost 3. That's not terrible, but it's not what you want to see heading down the stretch from the team that is supposed to be the most dominant in the league.

5. It's kind of funny watching the O's on MLB Gameday and seeing Hayden Penn's ERA drop by almost a full run for every out he records. Although it's kind of depressing that a guy who was so highly-touted and did so well in the minors was averaging an earned run for every out he recorded through his first three starts this season.

6. EA Sports' NHL 07 for XBox 360 is amazing. Sure, the graphics are amazing, but the real innovative part of the game is the controls that allow you to make your player do exactly what you want him to do. The left analog stick controls your skating and the right analog stick controls your puckhandling and shooting. If you have 360 (or a brother who has one that you can freeload off of), the game is a must-have.

7. I think the fact that I'm not a Redskins fan actually makes me more optimistic after their 0-2 start than 90 percent of actual Redskins fans. If they lose to Houston on Sunday, then we'll talk.

8. On the flip side, I'm less optimistic about the Ravens' 2-0 start than seemingly just about everyone. Steve McNair looked awful against the Raiders and the defense did all the work (same as it ever was). It doesn't help that the rest of the schedule looks extremely difficult, with the out-of-division games against San Diego, Denver, Carolina, New Orleans, Tennessee (OK that one shouldn't be too bad), Kansas City and Buffalo. Then of course there's the two games each against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. If the Ravens make the playoffs they'll have earned it.

9. Here's an interesting interview with Orioles owner Peter Angelos from PressBox, a free weekly paper dedicated to Baltimore sports. The reporter doesn't let Angelos get by with cookie cutter answers, which is nice. It's strange because after reading the article I almost got the feeling that Angelos knows what needs to be done to make the team better, despite the fact that so much of the media and fanbase paints him as this senile old fart who doesn't know which way is up half the time. It's a good read.

10. It's never too early to get your holiday shopping done.

Ravens and Redskins 2006 Preview

It's time. Meaningful professional football is now just a day away, so I'll stop skirting the issue.

There's a lot of optimism in the air about the 2006 NFL season. Ravens and Redskins fans both think their teams can make a serious run at a championship, and the media seems to agree to some extent. ESPN.com's Jason Whitlock picked the teams to face each other in the Super Bowl, with the Ravens as eventual champions.

I'm not really that optimistic, to be honest. Both teams play difficult schedules as a result of their stacked divisions, and I would even go as far as to say it's more likely that one of the two teams will miss the playoffs than it is that one of them will make it to the Super Bowl, let alone both.

Both teams do have their strengths and deficiencies, and both teams' fans can expect some trying times this season. So here's my not-so-expert analysis, and I've included some links to get you as up-to-date as possible before this weekend's games:

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BALTIMORE RAVENS
2005 Record: 6-10, 3rd in AFC North

2006 Ravens Toolkit Schedule Depth Chart Team Stats: 2006 preseason | 2005 Baltimore Sun Ravens Section Media Previews: • ESPN: 2006 Ravens Preview • CBS Sportsline: Ravens – Five Things To Know • AP: McNair provides Ravens with optioins and hope • SportingNews: Ravens Team Report

The Big Question

The Ravens seem to have filled their biggest need by ending the Kyle Boller experiment and going out and getting a legit starting QB in Steve McNair, but that's not to say there aren't still question marks. Looking ahead to the 2006 Ravens feels strangely similar to how I felt in March looking ahead to the 2006 Orioles season. Too many "need-to-happens."

For the O's it was all about young pitching emerging and a couple of new hitters either breaking out or reverting to form. Few of the things that needed to happen did happen, and the O's have stunk up the joint.

The Ravens "need-to-happens" are big also.

Steve McNair and Todd Heap need to stay healthy. Jamal Lewis needs to return to form. The offensive line needs to step it up.

The defense is going to be good, there's no question about that, but adding McNair doesn't answer all the questions on offense. If we've learned anything from the Orioles, it's that hoping players "return to form" is a setup for disappointment.

But Jamal Lewis was hurt last year, he's only 27, and McNair should be good enough that he can punish teams for teeing up on Jamal all game.

But the problem, in my mind, is that the other "ifs" all depend on the offensive line. If the O-line gets pushed around, McNair's not going to stay healthy and Jamal Lewis is not going to return to form. It's as simple as that. And there doesn't seem to be any indication that the right side of the line with Tony Pashos and Keydrick Vincent won't get pushed around.

The left side is strong with longtime Ravens Jonathan Ogden and Edwin Mulitalo, but can the veterans stand the test of having plays run to that side all day? If the answer is yes, the other questions may just be answered.

I'm excited for this Ravens season but I think there will be some ups and downs. Most of all I'm really looking forward to an offense not run by Kyle Boller or Anthony Wright.

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WASHINGTON REDSKINS
2005 Record: 10-6, 2nd in NFC East
Defeated Tampa Bay in Wild Card round, lost to Seattle in Divisional playoffs.

2006 Redskins Toolkit Schedule Depth Chart Team Stats: 2006 preseason | 2005 The Washington Post Redskins Section The Washington Times Redskins360 Blog Media Previews: • ESPN: 2006 Redskins Preview • CBS Sportsline: Redskins – Five Things To Know • AP: Redskins' grand thoughts get tempered • AP: Approaching 36, 'In-house' Brunell holds reins once again • SportingNews: Redskins Team Report

Familiar Situation

It seems like every offseason the Redskins find what they think will be that one piece that completes their offensive puzzle and makes the team a Super Bowl contender.

Two years ago it was Clinton Portis and Mark Brunell. Last year it was Santana Moss. This year it's Antwaan Randle El.

Yet after a dismal 0-4 preseason during which the offense was useless and Clinton Portis injured himself tackling a player who had just made an interception, is this year really any different?

The Redskins were 10-6 last year on solid defense and flashes of a great offense, the most memorable being a pair of late, long strikes from Brunell to Moss that reversed a 13-0 defecit with less than four minutes remaining in Dallas in week two last year.

The 'Skins went on an absolute tear to end the regular season, winning out after starting the season 5-6. During the five game win streak they averaged over 28 points a game.

But the offense spun its wheels in the playoffs, gaining only 120 yards in a first round playoff win over Tampa Bay, then only 140 in the first three quarters against eventual NFC Super Bowl representative Seattle.

The concern wasn't that great, but then the preseason started. Portis partially dislocated his shoulder early in the first game and the Redskins offense looked terrible. They only managed to accumulate 27 points over the four preseason games, none of them from the starting offense.

Offensive Coordinator Al Saunders says the preseason offense wasn't indicative of what we'll see come Monday night, but if there's any kind of learning curve to Saunders' offense that was so successful for the Chiefs prior to this season, the team better get on it quickly. The Giants still look strong after winning the division in 2005, the Cowboys have looked good with Drew Bledsoe, Terry Glenn and Julius Jones and will only get more dangerous if Terrell Owens gets over himself and into the lineup, and the Eagles are poised for a comeback after a down year marred by the T.O. saga.

If the 'Skins spend any time stuck in the starting gate, they're going to have a difficult time playing catch-up.

Fantasy Football Tips 2006

No you can get that sweet Fantasy Football image on a T-shirt! Check out the Beltway Sports Beat CafePress store!

I know I keep saying "it's not football season yet" -- and it's not -- but it is fantasy football draft season, so I have no problems talking about that.

My private league (14 teams, because real men don't play sissy, 10-team, "everyone's roster has at least 12 pro bowlers," fantasy football) had its draft last night, and as always it was an educational experience. So with the knowledge I've gained from the draft, I have decided to come here and shake my head, dusting my loyal readers with the dandruff of wisdom.

No, these aren't those kinds of tips (the one's you want). Not at all. These tips don't involve a running back's potential success in Herm Edwards' offense or how Minnesota's poorly ranked defense could get you mucho points from turnovers despite giving up 30 points a game. This is about how to get the most out of your fantasy football experience.

So here are some failproof guidelines for you to use as you draft your favorite players above obvious choices and take a kicker in the third round:

1. Don't waste your time doing copious amounts of research. Everyone's first round picks are based on the league rankings, and after that any "off the board" pick you think you're going to make will be taken two picks before you. If you think you can get Derrick Mason in the sixth round as your "diamond in the rough," hoping his reuniting with Steve McNair will do wonders for his fantasy value, think again. Everyone else realizes this also.

2. Backup quarterbacks are entirely unnecessary if your starting QB doesn't have his bye week in the first four weeks of the season. There's a good chance that anyone you'd be able to get by the time you're thinking about backup quarterbacks will, themselves, be a backup quarterback by the week that you need them. And if there are still certain starters available, you're wasting too high a pick on your backup quarterback.

3. Don't complain about no-shows. Granted, it is annoying when people miss the draft because you have to sit and watch the stupid clock for the full minute and a half and then it makes their pick for them, but you need those people. Sure, after four rounds you'll be wondering how the computer is auto-picking them an all-star team (here's a hint: it's picking better than you because it goes straight off Yahoo! rankings and doesn't know how to overrate "that wide out from my alma mater that I bumped into at the dining hall once"), but eventually the computer starts giving them highly-ranked injured players and disgruntled stars that have fallen to 12th on their team's depth chart. And with someone being given those players, you don't have to worry about taking them in a panic when your clock is down to seven because you've been "scouting tight ends" on the Internet.

4. Don't let trash talkers get to you. The person who talks the big game in the chat window the entire draft and calls you a moron because you didn't realize so-and-so had fallen out of favor with the quarterback and what's-his-face lost his best blocker will eventually end up picking Greg Jones and trumping everyone for "worst pick of the draft." If you're really lucky, he'll follow the pick by explaining how it's such a great steal because Fred Taylor is so injury prone and "mark my words, Jones will be getting all the carries by week four."

5. If it's not too late, choose your league participants carefully. The more shameless homers, the better. If you can get in a league with someone who's debating over who deserves the number one pick between Steve McNair, Todd Heap and Matt Stover, or if you can find a buddy who's convinced their first-round/second-round back-to-back picks are best used on Chris Cooley and the Redskins defense because they'll surely be gone before the draft comes all the way back around to them, you're probably going to do OK in that league.

6. If you have either Carson Palmer or Chad Johnson, it is your duty to the league not to trade whichever one you have to the team that has the other (unless you're getting the other in return). The same goes for Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison. Sure, Reggie Wayne and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (I would intentionally misspell that or make fun of his name for cheap laughs, but I'm above that) are good receivers, but they aren't the primary options or anywhere close. Giving Johnson to a team with Palmer or Palmer to a team with Johnson would be like Indiana Jones giving the bronze headpiece from Dr. Ravenwood's staff to the Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark. You wouldn't give the Nazis the only thing separating them from the treasure, would you?

7. If you're the commissioner of a betting league, get the money before the draft. Nothing dissuades people from sending their $20 more than picking third to last or, worse yet, missing the draft entirely and finding out that half their auto-drafted team is out until November.

8. You are no longer allowed to respond to a player's great performance by telling a buddy, "he's on my fantasy team." The one exception is if the buddy you're speaking to is in your league and you're rubbing it in his face. "He's on my fantasy team" is obsolete and I'm tired of it. In today's football-crazed America where calling someone a "fantasy nerd" no longer means they read Piers Anthony books, any idiot who cares enough to mention their fantasy team while watching real players play probably has upwards of 45 fantasy teams between multiple filled accounts on Yahoo! and ESPN.com. Damn near everyone is on one of your fantasy teams, dumbass.

Quick Hits: McNair's in, Soriano's on the way out, and Grimsley should be running for cover

The less you wear, the more you need McNair.

After much speculation -- and a couple court dates to force Tennessee's hand -- the Ravens finally acquired Steve McNair last week. I would have posted about it sooner but management locked me out of my blogging facility for fear I'd injure myself.

The Ravens apparently think they've found their top tier quarterback, as McNair is a three-time Pro Bowler who co-won an MVP Award just three seasons ago, but excuse me if I'm not jumping for joy at the news. Remember Elvis Grbac? Yeah. I've stopped being optimistic about "savior" quarterbacks for the Ravens.

The one thing that surprised me about McNair when looking at his stats, though, is that for as much as you hear about him being injured, he's played at least 14 games every year except one since the 2000 season.

When he plays, he should at the very least be a vast improvement over the tandem of Kyle Boller and Anthony Wright, who found themselves side-by-side for 29th and 30th in the league in passer rating last year.

Meanwhile, Boller just asks that Brian Billick not declare the starting job McNair's immediately. Ha!

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Nats have pick of Soriano suitors.

With more than a month and a half before the MLB trade deadline, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Alfonso Soriano won't be wearing a curly W come August.

In an ESPN.com article, reporter Enrique Rojas says Soriano doesn't see himself sticking around in D.C.

"I'll be a free agent by the end of the year," he told Rojas. "The Nationals will receive good trade offers, and I will have the opportunity to look at the best deal for me."

That doesn't sound like a guy who's getting ready to put a down payment on a house in Potomac.

But all that begs the question: Why even trade for him in the first place?

Why trade for Soriano if you aren't going to pay to keep him? Sure, they'll get a better package of prospects for him than they would for Wilky, but that's meaningless because they wouldn't have had to dump Wilkerson at the deadline!

Wilkerson's making less than 40 percent of what Soriano is taking in this season, and Wilkerson wouldn't have been impossible to re-sign. You can't tell me that a bunch of high-risk minor leaguers are better than a proven Major Leaguer who's good for an .800+ OPS when he's healthy and who should be coming into his prime. It makes no sense.

Why hasn't incoming president Stan Kasten fired Jim Bowden yet?

Fine, I guess we can wait for Kasten to officially become president. Oh, and for the new ownership group to get their first priority out of the way: hot dogs. Nice to see they've got a grasp on the pressing issues.

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If Major League Baseball was like The Sopranos, Jason Grimsley would be whacked.

Instead, the journeyman reliever has been suspended for 50 games by MLB and released from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

When federal authorities nailed Grimsley receiving a shipment of Human Growth Hormone, he started ratting people out. After admitting that he used steroids and switched to HGH when MLB started urine testing, Grimsley listed other guys who he knew were doping, including former teammates.

So let the speculation begin. Grimsley played for the Phillies from 1989 to '91, the Indians from '93 to '95, the Angels in '96, the Yankees in '99 and 2000 (no way ... I'm simply shocked ... those guys never get caught up in steroid scandals), the Royals from '01 to '04, the Orioles from '04 to '05, and the Diamondbacks in '06.

That's a lot of teammates, but luckily for every team except the O's and D'Backs, it'll be hard to pin the older players to anything since MLB and congress didn't start paying attention to all this stuff until the last couple years.

So O's fans, are you prepared for another bombshell like last season? I, for one, am living in fear.

I liked Palmeiro and thought there was NO WAY he was on 'roids, but now I feel like it could be anyone. Which of my favorite players will it be this time? The suspense is going to torture me.

Everything else has come out -- "secret" grand jury testimony has been everywhere -- so why wouldn't this? It's not "if" it's going to be leaked, it's "when."

I'll put my money on names coming out before the All-Star break, but they've got to wait for the Orioles to start playing well again. Anything less wouldn't be the proper soul-crushing that O's fans have come to expect.

I think if we get this kind of bomb dropped on us mid-season for the second year in a row, it may be time for me to start shopping for Nats gear. I hear there could be good clearance prices on Alfonso Soriano shirts and jerseys in a couple months...