The Redskins have become a certifiable mess, and a lot of it starts at the top with owner Dan Snyder. The team is 2-5 this year despite having spent plenty of money on their talent, and the fans are unhappy, as is ownership. Former player John Riggins recently had his radio show canceled on Snyder’s station WTEM in D.C., and he’s responded with some harsh, critical rants about Snyder and head coach Jim Zorn. Riggins’ criticism, while humorous and biting, came across to many as excessive. Count former Skins QB Joe Theismann as one who isn’t on board with Riggins’ criticism, as he told the 2 Live Stews on Sporting News Radio:

“John’s not outspoken about this football team, John’s just decided to attack people personally, and I think he is way out of line. I don’t agree with his opinions. I think it’s vindictive, I think it’s downright harsh, and I think John speaks specifically for himself.

John thinks he’s representing the fanship, but I don’t believe he is. The Redskin fans are frustrated — this football team has not achieved anywhere near what I think the fans believed they were capable of doing. But to attack the owner and say the things about the owner that he said, to attack the coach and say the things that he said about the coach, seemed purely motivated in one mean-spirited way, and I don’t agree with it.”

Even though Riggins’ rants have received plenty of play across the airwaves for their entertainment value, it’s nice to hear a different legend call Riggins out for his inappropriate behavior. People have learned that screaming and yelling and making outlandish remarks will get you on TV (thanks, ESPN), but it doesn’t earn you the respect of anyone. Riggins doesn’t have mine or Theismann’s respect for what he’s done. No doubt the Redskins are in bad shape and a lot of it is due to the ownership, but there’s no reason to go about the criticism in the manner that Riggins has.

Bengals sideshow wide receiver Chad Ochocino is known for running his big mouth and pulling stunts on and off the field. When I say off the field, I don’t mean getting into trouble with the law — I mean stirring up controversy with opposing teams. A few years ago Ocho had a chart of all the opposing cornerbacks who would be guarding him and he would keep track of which ones he burned. He also is known for sending packages to opposing defenses, a practice he replicated this week prior to the game with Baltimore. Ocho says he sent Fabian Washington, Dominique Foxworth, Ed Reed, Dawan Landry, and company gift baskets that included some deodorant so that they didn’t sweat all day. While Ocho is saying that’s what it’s for, I was guessing it has a duel purpose to also let them know they stink.

Even though the Bengals have the better record and already beat the Ravens in week five, I’m skeptical about their chances once again. It took a few key penalties on an improbable drive for the Bengals to win last time so odds are it will be another close game. The bright side is that the Bengals had an extra week to prepare for the game so they should be all set and rested for the contest. Putting the outcome aside, I’m just hoping for both teams to have success running the ball; I have both Ray Rice and Cedric Benson gunning for me in the Coors Light Fantasy Football League. Going against me though is that Dewey at the Right Brain blog said bench Ced this week, only I don’t have any other options.

Getting back to Chad, it’s sad to see so many analysts have to eat crow regarding his performance this year. I guess they didn’t realize Carson Palmer got hurt last year and missed almost the entire season, leaving the injured Ochocinco stuck with an incapable Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback. All those analysts must have forgotten about Chad’s five straight Pro Bowl years prior to last year.

This Frank and Jamie McCourt divorce junk not only gets uglier by the day, but it also gets more humorous too. As if asking for half a million a month in alimony isn’t bad enough (not to say she doesn’t deserve half of everything but just that it’s an absurd amount of money to live off of), Jamie’s written some funny stuff in her legal declaration. According to the LA Times,

Jamie McCourt claims she was actively involved in the ownership and management of the team from day one, detailing her involvement in executive meetings, hiring and planning decisions, and marketing and community relations initiatives.

“I was the face of the Dodgers,” she claims.

Vin Scully, Manny Ramirez, Tommy Lasorda, Matt Kemp, Russell Martin, Jonathan Broxton, Andre Ethier. All of them take a back seat to Jamie McCourt. And in seven words, Jamie encapsulated most of what I had against the McCourts while they owned the Dodgers. The owners not only felt they were, but also aimed to be more important than everyone else in the organization, including the ones fans care about most — the players.

As if that sentiment isn’t bad enough, Bill Shaikin outlined my biggest gripe with the McCourts in a thorough article this week, and it’s something that should really tick fans off. Frank and Jamie took home between $7-$8 million a year for themselves instead of spending some of that money on payroll. Cliff Lee’s salary was $5.75 million this past season. The Dodgers have also spent the least amount of money on signing bonuses in the draft the past two years of any team in baseball. As we’ve said many times before, the McCheap’s strike again. I just hope the courts force them to sell the team rather than recognize Frank’s sole ownership of the Dodgers.

I’m not so sure Hideki Matsui got the kind of love he deserved for his incredible Game 6 performance and otherwise outstanding World Series against the Phillies. Most of the focus on the FOX postgame show seemed to be about the Yankees quartet of Jeter, Pettitte, Posada, and Rivera winning their fifth rings with the Bronx Bombers, but to me there’s no doubt that Matsui was the star of the show. Matsui single-handedly destroyed Pedro Martinez and catapulted the Yankees to victory. Honestly, 6 RBIs in a World Series clinching game? He was Pedro’s worst nightmare and the game-changer. And it wasn’t even limited to Game 6 either; Matsui did the exact same thing by hitting the tie-breaking home run in Game 2.

Even in Philadelphia where he couldn’t play the field for three straight games, Matsui took advantage of his opportunities going 2-for-3 in pinch hit spots, with a home run in Game 3. I had the feeling entering Game 6 that if the Yankees closed out the series on Wednesday night, the MVP would go to the player who had the biggest game. Without a doubt, that was Matsui, and now he’s cemented in history for a clutch performance that rivals Reggie Jackson. You get the feeling that maybe if he didn’t require a translator his face would have been more omnipresent but either way Matsui let his bat do the talking.

By the way, it was about time the Yankees won a World Series. Those dedicated fans shouldn’t have to wait so long between titles — they deserve to win more frequently.

The Chiefs are in the midst of yet another losing season, having a record of 1-6 on the year. While we’re already aware of the issues they’ve had with volatile running back Larry Johnson, it seems as if they’re trying to avoid any other problems within the organization — the sort of the thing that can mount as the result of constant losing. Rotoworld has tipped me off to the latest sign posted at the team’s facility, courtesy of beat writer Josh Looney. See it below:

Judging by this sign, it’s safe to say LJ won’t be back with the team next year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets less than 100 carries over the course of his career following the season. In other words, after several heavy workloads with the Chiefs, he’s probably done. Although the team stinks right now, I do have confidence they have some of the right pieces in part to slowly start turning things around. Scott Pioli and Matt Cassel is a good start.

One of the biggest trades in the NBA occurred a few offseasons ago and it helped bring the Celtics their first championship in 22 years. In the trade, Kevin Garnett was dealt from the Timberwolves to the Celtics after Boston had already acquired Ray Allen, completing one of the biggest offseasons for a team this side of the Yankees. So far several reasons have been suggested as explanations for the trade. For one, the Timberwolves were going nowhere and either Kevin Garnett wanted to get moved and/or the team felt they owed him a shot at a title. Secondly, people suggested that as part of the “free KG movement,” GM Kevin McHale decided to give his former Celtic teammate, Danny Ainge, a nice present. Another suggestion was that the Timberwolves decided it was time to rebuild without Garnett. Well since he was fired by the Timberwolves in June, it seems like McHale wants to set the record straight about the trade that tarnishes his resume as a front office guy. In an interview with the 2 Live Stews on Sporting News Radio, McHale said it was owner Glen Taylor’s financial decision that led to the Kevin Garnett trade:

“There was a contract extension coming up … I had talked to [Garnett's] agent and I said ‘hey man, you guys are looking for some big money, you better talk to our owner on it.’ I called up our owner and said this is kind of where everything’s at. It just got to the point where our owner came back and said ‘I’m not sure I can spend that amount of money — we’re going to make a trade.’ At that point, it’s just try to get the best deal. I really liked Al Jefferson — I always have. I think you’re looking at trying to get the best, young player you can in that situation. It was really just trying to find the best, young player available to get a good, young nucleus and go from there.”

In addition to explaining how his hands were tied with the deal, McHale made another reference during the interview to the difficulties of running a small-market franchise:

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