Redskins Turmoil: Is Shanahan Era Already Doomed?—The transition to two-time Super Bowl champ Mike Shanahan as head coach of the Washington Redskins was supposed to bring a calm professionalism back to the Washington Redskins. But that has hardly been the off-season case for DC’s beloved burgundy and gold. Disgruntled defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth pocketed his twenty-one million dollar salary, refused to show up for any of the team’s mini-camps and then demanded a trade because he refuses to play the unrewarding position of nose tackle in the Skin’s new 3-4 defense. The Skins have countered by threatening to sue Haynesworth to retrieve the unearned salary. It’s going to get ugly. On the offensive side of the ball, the Redskins shocked everyone on the eve of April’s draft by trading within the division for long-time Eagle rival Donovan McNabb to be the team’s new quarterback. Granted, McNabb holds nearly every Eagle offensive record after a decade in the City of Brotherly Love. But Philly fans were unforgiving over McNabb’s puke-fest in his lone Super Bowl appearance six long years ago and in subsequent post-season failures. Exit polls indicated they weren’t exactly sad to see him shipped down I-95. Andy Reid was the only pro coach McNabb ever played for and he obviously doesn’t fear having to face his former signalcaller twice in the upcoming season. But will McNabb be one and done with the Redskins? With free agency looming for the soon-to-be 34-year-old quarterback, owner Daniel Snyder has a major financial decision to make. Having traded the much younger (25) and equally-belittled quarterback Jason Campbell to the Oakland Raiders for a low draft pick, do the Skins sign the aging McNabb to the long-term deal he demands? Shanahan had amazing success in Denver with John Elway at a similar age and greybeard retirees Brett Favre and Kurt Warner still fascinate the NFL faithful.

Who McNabb will be handing the ball off to this season is also a question mark. Coach Shanahan traded away Clinton Portis in his Denver Bronco prime because he couldn’t tolerate the talented and oft-injured tailback/headcase then. And that too was six long years ago (which is double the average life expectancy of a pro tailback). So the Redskins have been busy inking every other thirty-something running back in the league to man their backfield. Former rushing champion Larry Johnson Jr. and former Super Bowl hero Willie Parker are among them. The Skins even remain interested in McNabb’s former Eagle teammate Brian Westbrook, who has been knocked out more than Chuck Liddell the past two years. About the only ancient running backs the Skins weren’t looking at this off-season were Barry Sanders and O.J. Simpson. The NFC East is always the most competitive division in pro football. With the start of official training camp in July, the Skins at least remain interesting on paper.

Wizards Hold Top Draft Pick: Will Wall Cause Wailing?—The last time the Washington Wizards held the top pick in the NBA draft (2001), then lead executive Michael Jordan selected a can’t-miss high-school prospect by the name of Kwame Brown. Jordan, now the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, was the game’s greatest player. But his knowledge of Hanes undergarments far exceeds his knowledge of pro basketball prospects. The seven-foot Brown struggled from the outset in DC, quickly became a target of frustrated fans, and has been a journeyman in the pros ever since. Now, the consensus top selection in the upcoming draft (Thursday, June 24) is one-year wonder John Wall out of Kentucky. Cat quick with the kind of open-court floor generalship that intrigues league officials and excites fans, one wonders if another point guard is really the answer to the Wizards’ woes. After all, Gilbert Arenas is still under contract. The gun-slinging point guard who brought new meaning to the basketball term ”deadly accurate shooter” luckily escaped serious jail time and a suspension into this season. Arenas supposedly dominated his fellow Rockville detainees in hoops during his recent stint at the Montgomery County Detention Center. The annual prison basketball tournament will be forever named in his honor. Unfortunately for Wizard fans, Arenas is still guaranteed tens of millions of dollars and remains untradeable. New owner Ted Leonsis turned around an ailing Washington Capitals franchise quickly. Can Alex Ovechkin sink three pointers?

National Dilemma: How Soon Can Bryce Harper Get To DC? —The record-breaking sensation that Stephen Strasburg has generated in his first three starts is comparable to LA’s Fernando Mania in the early 80’s. But the feeding frenzy of a Strasburg appearance every fifth day doesn’t put fannies on South Capitol Street on the other four days. Granted, the Nationals have several solid pieces in place and are certainly better than the club that lost triple-digit games each of the last two seasons. Drew Storen, the other top selection in last year’s draft, shows promise in the Nationals bullpen. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is spectacular defensively but inconsistent offensively. I sat through one-hundred degree heat and stifling humidity during Ryan Zimmerman Bobblehead Day on Saturday, June 19. The only breeze in the stadium was Zimmerman fanning four straight times, including the last time looking with the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the 9th. The Nats were blanked by the Chicago White Sox, 1-0. Just a day after mustering one run in Strasburg’s eye-popping no-decision. Clearly, the team needs offensive punch. Outfielders Nyjer Morgan and Roger Bernadina can fly but supply absolutely no power in the home-run-happy major leagues. Nationals fans want to know how soon the team’s recent top overall pick Bryce Harper can get to the big leagues. Only 17, Harper’s high school and junior college legend was fueled by his Sports Illustrated cover piece a year ago. Tales of his 500-foot homeruns have him sounding like a cross between The Natural’s Roy Hobbs and the late Hall of Famer Ted Williams, whose frozen head is still out there somewhere in cyberspace.

In many respects, Bryce Harper is far more important to the Nationals’ fortunes than Stephen Strasburg. While number one pitchers are clearly a hot commodity in the major leagues, everyday players like Harper are even more valuable. Harper will be in the lineup every single day. And there is no doubt he needs to get to DC within the next calendar year. Does he even have his driver’s license yet? Harper will be penciled in the Nationals clean-up slot for the next twenty years. But before that can ever happen, President Stan Kasten and General Manager Mike Rizzo must sign Harper to his first pro contract. And that won’t be easy. Like Strasburg, Harper is represented by greedy superagent Scott Boras. The Nationals sweated until the very last day to ink Strasburg to his record fifteen-million dollar pact, five million more than any other top MLB selection. Now the Nationals must deal with Boras again to secure Bryce Harper. And I’m sure this negotiation will go right to the legal signing deadline as well. But all Scott Boras has to do is point to the gaping hole in right field at Nationals Park and tell team executives to dream about what the future might be. The fans are hoping that this dream comes true sooner than later.