Taken from ESPN.com's "Uni-Watch."
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...s/050922&num=0
The strangest scenario, however, has involved Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell. As readers Sam Bell and Todd Carroll alertly point out, Brunell had "Redskin" -- instead of the plural "Redskins" -- printed on his jersey and on his rear helmet liner during the team's Week 1 game against the Bears.
Now, one typo might be an honest mistake. But it doesn't take a conspiracy theorist to conclude that two matching typos are evidence of more than just an innocent coincidence. Was Brunell making some sort of statement? Is he not a team player? Does he consider himself to be a big chief among little Indians? Or did he just have trouble distinguishing singulars from plurals in grammar school?
These and other questions hung in the balance when the 'Skins played the Cowboys this past Monday night, with Uni Watch vigilantly perched mere inches from the TV screen in order to get a good view of the fine print on Brunell's togs. And sure enough, he still had "Redskin" on his jersey -- but his helmet liner had been updated to include the "s" in "Redskins." With the situation getting curiouser and curiouser, a thoroughly confused Uni Watch put in a call to Redskins HQ, where the team's entire PR staff immediately stopped what they were doing and began investigating this crucial mystery.
OK, not really. But 'Skins PR rep Brian Hosmer did check with the team's equipment manager. "He says there's no significance to it at all," Hosmer reported back. "They just didn't catch it." Yeah, but how did the helmet liner change? "Uh, I don't know. He, uh, didn't mention it." Sigh. And did anyone ask Brunell about it? "No, he's been in meetings all day and I can't really bother him with something like this."
It was at this point that Uni Watch got the distinct impression that Hosmer was looking at his watch with that "really busy, gotta go" look on his face, so that was pretty much the end of the conversation. And a maddeningly unsatisfying conversation it was -- we don't know anything more about this situation than we did before, except that the equipment manager probably won't let it happen again. But Uni Watch isn't ready to let go of this one. If anyone has any insights, please speak up.
Three other quick notes about the 'Skins: First, perhaps in reaction to Uni Watch's recent critique, they've stopped wearing burgundy socks with their burgundy pants (which created an unsightly leotard effect) and have gone back to wearing their striped white socks -- a great improvement. Second, Joe Gibbs appears to have abandoned the black cap he wore last season in favor of a red cap, more like the one he wore in his glory days (although the newer version, annoyingly, has the Reebok logo).
And finally, the color scheme of Gibbs' Monday night attire prompted Uni Watch attaché Ruth Wedes to opine, "He looks like he's working at McDonald's." All game long, whenever Gibbs appeared on the screen, Wedes quipped, "Would you like fries with that?" and "Super-size it?" But of course Uni Watch was too busy scrutinizing Brunell's jersey and helmet to engage in such frivolities.
