| Craig Johnson. 15th November, 2005 - 7:34 pm
 It’s official, the officials are currently heading the league that really stands for Not For Long when you make calls like that. Not once, not twice and not only three times, but four foul-mouth calls have sent me into the bathroom praying to the porcelain gods. Seriously, I am so sick of watching the referees take games from the Washington Redskins.
Back up running back Ladell Betts was the guy that started the valiant comeback. On his 75th career kickoff return he raced 94 yards for not just his first return for a touchdown, but it was the first time Washington returned a kickoff since Chad Morton did on 11/30/03. Betts lit the fire that just kept burning and burning until the Skins could finally find a way to get ahead of the feisty Buccaneers. Betts later finished a 9 play, 73 yard drive with a 17 yard touchdown reception from Mark Brunell that put the Skins up 28-21, but Tampa quarterback Chris Simms continuously had an answer. It was very frustrating watching Simms do exactly what his father Phil used to do to us. The thing that made it even worse is that it was only his 5th career start. We blitzed him, we dropped into coverage and blitzed him some more but he would not get rattled. The defense struggled big time and got scored on more times than Kelly Bundy. The drive that put the Redskins up for what seemed was going to last, was absolutely spectacular.
Clinton Portis bullied the Bucs all game and capped off a 23 carry 144 yard evening with his lone touchdown on a 8 yard scamper that sealed a 16 play, 76 yard 8 minute-thirty-four second drive and gave the Skins a 35-28 lead. That is when the referees began to look like circus clowns.
Let me start from the first quarter where these clowns who were headed by Bill Vinovich and replay official Howard Slavin, began hearing the circus music and started going cuckoo. You know that song you hear at the circus that goes doot-doot-doo-da-doo-da-doot, and then all the clowns come riding out in their mini-cars. That’s exactly what began happening on the field. I even saw the big fat elephant (K. Walker) standing around doing much of nothing. The play that I was starting to complain about was in the first quarter when a Redskin apparently forced Joey Galloway out. Pierson Prioleau hadn’t even got over to Galloway until his second foot was clearly out-of-bounds. That’s just the first mistake, but guess what…that led to a Bucs touchdown.
I quickly fast forward to the last drive that stole my heart for the entire evening. After Derrick Frost punted the worst punt that he could possibly ever do he did. That next play Simms fired to once again Galloway who then fell down to his knees and did not have possession of the ball, which was clearly seen falling through his hands at a 90-degree angle and then hit the ground. We go to the replay booth and I am pretty sure that I saw Mr. Slavin on his knees, only to have his head pop up and decide that it was indeed a catch.
I could have sworn that someone had turned that circus music up even louder. Then the bonehead Redskins decide to blitz when the Bucs have no timeouts and have their backs against the wall, only to leave league leading bonehead play captain Walt Harris all alone in coverage. For the last few weeks it appears that Harris has been singing solos of the circus music on every play. Not the player that I expected. Then on the ensuing point after, Shawn Springs blocks it. We win. The Redskins did it. We are 6-3 and leading the NFC East division. “Hail To The Red…a flag?” Springs got called for offside and suddenly the circus music gets louder. The Bucs and that evil coach Chucky get greedy and go for the win. Why wouldn’t they? They’re at home and only need 18 inches. Too bad Mike Alstott only got 15 inches but was credited for the two-point conversion. We once again go to the replay booth and this time Mr. Slavin misplaced his remote to the teleprompter. He decides to wing it and even though Alstott’s elbow was clearly down short of the end zone, Slavin decides to waste the ninety-seconds whistling the circus music in hopes that nobody knows he lost the remote. Upon further review the play stands and Tampa has a 36-35 lead with just fifty-eight seconds left. Just enough time to make me realize that the circus was in Tampa. Well, I say, “Upon further review you clowns make me sick and Homey don’t play that.”
Quick stat that us faithful would like to hear…Mike Sellars has just 11 touches on the season and six touchdowns after scoring against the Buccaneers Sunday. Also, just another little thing that will keep us smiling is that Chris Cooley is beginning to catch fire and build a strong repertoire with Brunell just like he did with Patrick Ramsey last year. Oh yeah, and we got the Raiders next week, let’s hope that is all we have to play and not the referees also. This Is The Year. I Just Know It!
Craig Johnson can be reached at myterps34@yahoo.com, and appreciates all feedback. |
