What It Means To Be A Team Captain

[Buford]

Over the past week 3 Captains of the Washington Redskins have had their own little issues that leads me to ask......WHY are these guys wearing the "C" on their uniforms?

• Trent Williams - Suspended for smoking pot and failing a number of drug tests. Now, not many are reporting that all a fat guy like Trent had to do was smoke once and then he's be failing those for the next month. Still, while I've got nothing against the act itself. If its going to get you suspended from your job as a pro-athlete, I think you can wait until your career is over......you're richer than Uncle Scrooge.....and you can smoke everyday for the rest of your life. Just because you're the most talent offensive lineman doesn't mean you should wear the "C". If anything, his absence from player workouts during the lockout should have let people know he wasn't a leader type. Safe to say that next year he shouldn't be wearing the patch. Grow the hell up and do your damn job.

• Santana Moss - Seems that every year he makes a very noticeable mistake that costs a game. I remember back to a game in Green Bay where he slide and fumbled right into a defenders arms. He made a few mistakes yesterday....but the one that got me was after the game with him whining about being called for the push-off. I honestly haven't seen the replay so I don't know if its a legit gripe. But you know two things in the NFL. #1. The Patriots are always going to get that call, so deal with it. #2. After the game there is no point in crying about it anymore. So you were being held and mugged all day? Yes, that sucks. But going in front of the cameras and whining about it isn't going to make a difference. On a good team he's the #2 or #2 WR, in Washington he's your #1. I hope next year he's not wearing the patch anymore.

• DeAngelo Hall - This dude has been a mess all year. He won NFC defensive player of the week when he had a handful of a tackles...an INT....AND gave up a TD to Golden Tate of all people. A few weeks ago after he blew it on the field against Dallas, he said that he'd cut himself. Then yesterday he had a series of mistakes from watching his teammates try to tackle a 6'7 TE who's unreal, to picking up the yellow flag and throwing it after being called for holding and pass interference. Really? He's a Captain on your defense and he has a meltdown like a little kid? They could have ripped the "C" off his uniform at halftime. His skill set is regressing and his play-making abilities are NOT covering for it. I know there are holes in the secondary with the brittle brothers at safety and Wilson just being average. But if you can trade him in the offseason maybe trying to move up in the draft or something. You do it. He has taken over Portis' role of talking bigger than his play. Time to go.

Next year when its time to pick team Captains....I hope the organization does a much better job of picking players who aren't just performing on the field, but aren't embarrassing themselves and their team with their behavior. This has to be part of the rebuilding process......rebuilding character.

[SkinsCrushCowboys]

I could not agree more. It is not a lifetime acheivement award or a justify your draft pick award. It should be given to a player that is a leader on the field and in the locker room.

[Rypien1191]

I agree with the other 2, but I think Tana has earned the C, and earned a right to gripe a little. He got hosed yesterday. Guy has been a solid pro for us for 6(?) years through the good and the bad and never complained, slacked off, or threw teammates under the bus.

[Buford]

I could not agree more. It is not a lifetime acheivement award or a justify your draft pick award. It should be given to a player that is a leader on the field and in the locker room.

exactly. Guys like Fletcher earn and keep it. The sad truth is that there still aren't many leaders on the team that are visible. Maybe next year you'll have Kerrigan or Helu. But right now, its just a sad state of affairs.

[GibbsFactor]

I want DHALL gone this year. Cut him, take the hit. I don't care if we have to start Barnes in his stead.

I'd love to get rid of Williams, he's a toke away from screwing us for the season.

Santana is the only deserving Captain but his best days are behind him. It's just the said state of affairs on offense.

Next year, Fletch and Kerrigan should be our defensive captains. I can't even think of a deserving guy on our offense.

[Dan T.]

Agree somewhat on two of your three... I think the argument against Santana isn't that strong. He's been a solid, hard-working presence on the team through much adversity. I have no problem with him wearing the C.

BTW, was anybody else wondering about the significance of the stars and their colors? From Wiki:

Players with the C patch on their jerseys represents team captain and the number of stars filled in on the patch represents the number of consecutive years that player has been named captain by that team. If they've been named captain for longer than four years, the "C" on the patch is gold. Some teams (e.g., New England) do not have this patch on their jerseys but still designate captains.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationa..._team_captains

[JCav06]

London Flecther should be the only captain on the Redskins. It's very disturbing that players would look to someone like Trent Williams to lead.

[Dan T.]

I'll bet ten thousand of Mitt Romney's dollars that Trent Williams isn't wearing the C next year.

[Kelvin Bryant]

I agree with the other 2, but I think Tana has earned the C, and earned a right to gripe a little. He got hosed yesterday. Guy has been a solid pro for us for 6(?) years through the good and the bad and never complained, slacked off, or threw teammates under the bus.

Santana doesn't have the professionalism / maturity issues of the other two, but he has developed a nasty habit of committing game-killing drops. He's become an antimatter version of Gary Clark, who would drop a few early and then kill the other team at the end with a big catch.

[Godfather151981]

Over the past week 3 Captains of the Washington Redskins have had their own little issues that leads me to ask......WHY are these guys wearing the "C" on their uniforms?

• Trent Williams - Suspended for smoking pot and failing a number of drug tests. Now, not many are reporting that all a fat guy like Trent had to do was smoke once and then he's be failing those for the next month. Still, while I've got nothing against the act itself. If its going to get you suspended from your job as a pro-athlete, I think you can wait until your career is over......you're richer than Uncle Scrooge.....and you can smoke everyday for the rest of your life. Just because you're the most talent offensive lineman doesn't mean you should wear the "C". If anything, his absence from player workouts during the lockout should have let people know he wasn't a leader type. Safe to say that next year he shouldn't be wearing the patch. Grow the hell up and do your damn job.

• Santana Moss - Seems that every year he makes a very noticeable mistake that costs a game. I remember back to a game in Green Bay where he slide and fumbled right into a defenders arms. He made a few mistakes yesterday....but the one that got me was after the game with him whining about being called for the push-off. I honestly haven't seen the replay so I don't know if its a legit gripe. But you know two things in the NFL. #1. The Patriots are always going to get that call, so deal with it. #2. After the game there is no point in crying about it anymore. So you were being held and mugged all day? Yes, that sucks. But going in front of the cameras and whining about it isn't going to make a difference. On a good team he's the #2 or #2 WR, in Washington he's your #1. I hope next year he's not wearing the patch anymore.

• DeAngelo Hall - This dude has been a mess all year. He won NFC defensive player of the week when he had a handful of a tackles...an INT....AND gave up a TD to Golden Tate of all people. A few weeks ago after he blew it on the field against Dallas, he said that he'd cut himself. Then yesterday he had a series of mistakes from watching his teammates try to tackle a 6'7 TE who's unreal, to picking up the yellow flag and throwing it after being called for holding and pass interference. Really? He's a Captain on your defense and he has a meltdown like a little kid? They could have ripped the "C" off his uniform at halftime. His skill set is regressing and his play-making abilities are NOT covering for it. I know there are holes in the secondary with the brittle brothers at safety and Wilson just being average. But if you can trade him in the offseason maybe trying to move up in the draft or something. You do it. He has taken over Portis' role of talking bigger than his play. Time to go.

Next year when its time to pick team Captains....I hope the organization does a much better job of picking players who aren't just performing on the field, but aren't embarrassing themselves and their team with their behavior. This has to be part of the rebuilding process......rebuilding character.

I don't disagree with you in the least about Trent Williams, and perhaps to a certain extent on DHall. He hasn't had the greatest season in the world. However I see the act of him throwing the flag as one of defiance in the face of really awful circumstances. Yes it got him and unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and all, but there comes a point where you can only take so much of the garbage that Triplette's crew was dishing out yesterday. Somehow I don't think that was totally based on yesterday's game either. It seems like whenever there's a close or potentially controversial call in a game involving the Redskins, the other side at the very least gets a benefit of the doubt. I don't think that there's a conspiracy to screw the Redskins or anything, but the calls that go against the Skins sometimes leave me scratching my head. As an example, I felt that after London undressed the officials after that horrible 15-yd penalty the officiating seemed to get progressively worse. You can be like my Dad and say that outbursts as such (and like that of Hall) are going to make the refs go against you, or you can look at it from the proper angle and hold the refs accountable for making the right call all the time. John Thompson once said that if 18-year olds should have to attest to the media for what they did in a game, then refs should as well. (The Skins aren't 18 years old, but you get the point; all leagues seem to protect their officials a little too much.)

As for Santana Moss, your comment about knowing that the Patriots get that call is a bit troubling. What you're saying is that the refs are in fact tainted towards them (or towards certain teams), and that you just have to deal with it. If that's the case, what's the point of playing the game? If there are certain teams or players that are favored, it's only actions similar to what Santana Moss and London Fletcher did (and maybe even DHall) that'll expose it for what it is. But just saying "you know they get that call so deal with it" sounds like rolling over and playing dead.

[Coach Janky Spanky]

Trent Williams -- it's possible they made him Captain not because of what he's done, but to pressure him into being a leader and working harder and showing up for stuff like player-organized workouts and not getting suspended. That obviously hasn't worked.

Deangelo Hall should not be Captain. There's a chance he's not around next year. He is not a #1 CB and not a leader.

I'm okay with Moss. Also should be Fletcher, Kerrigan, Orakpo,

[Buford]

Its the Jordan rules. Winning teams that don't need the calls are going to get the calls. This isn't new. Being unhappy about it is fine and don't disagree with it. But to whine about it seems weak to me.

Is Orakpo getting held constantly? Yes? Do we complain? Yes...but he's not out crying about it.

Captain's need to lead.....either through their play or their words. If you fail at either one of those, then what do you have?

[moondog]

I agree about Hall and Williams. What I am most surprised about is that their teammates were the ones that voted them as captains. I understand why Santana is a captain. Shanahan has complimented all three of these guys saying he likes them as people and how they go about their business and how hard they practice. With that being said I don't think the first two meet what I see as a captain but I also don't see them working every day.

As far as offense goes in terms of guys I view as viable captains that should be on the team next year and are currently:

Offense:
Helu - for how hard he works and leadership by example, but I think he still may be too young/soft-spoken
Cooley - the man should be a lock as a captain, he does not need to be the starter to be a team captain
Hightower - same as Cooley, may not even be the starter but his attitude and work ethic go a long way in my mind

Defense:
Fletcher - yup
Kerrigan - has earned it with his play/intelligence but he's still very young
DEFENSIVE LINE - Bowen, Cofield and Carriker - all have been excellent all year. Bowen did not miss a game and barely missed any snaps with a TORN PCL (I don't care if it's considered non-essential, knee ligament tears are extremely painful). All three are setting personal records this year and Cofield has played excellent considering it is his first year as NT in a 3-4. I have absolutely no problem and almost like captains that are not the big name, super-noticeable guys out there. These 3 guys are great at what they do and do so without a lot of recognition, and that is just fine with them. They deserve it.

[Buford]

I can live with Moss keeping it as he probably finds himself playing less as he gets older....but I am still not cool with the bitching and moaning.

Are there NFL rules that you need to have (X) Captains on the team? Why not just have 2 or 3 tops and be done with it?

[2cents]

I don't disagree with you in the least about Trent Williams, and perhaps to a certain extent on DHall. He hasn't had the greatest season in the world. However I see the act of him throwing the flag as one of defiance in the face of really awful circumstances. Yes it got him and unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and all, but there comes a point where you can only take so much of the garbage that Triplette's crew was dishing out yesterday. Somehow I don't think that was totally based on yesterday's game either. It seems like whenever there's a close or potentially controversial call in a game involving the Redskins, the other side at the very least gets a benefit of the doubt. I don't think that there's a conspiracy to screw the Redskins or anything, but the calls that go against the Skins sometimes leave me scratching my head. As an example, I felt that after London undressed the officials after that horrible 15-yd penalty the officiating seemed to get progressively worse. You can be like my Dad and say that outbursts as such (and like that of Hall) are going to make the refs go against you, or you can look at it from the proper angle and hold the refs accountable for making the right call all the time. John Thompson once said that if 18-year olds should have to attest to the media for what they did in a game, then refs should as well. (The Skins aren't 18 years old, but you get the point; all leagues seem to protect their officials a little too much.)

As for Santana Moss, your comment about knowing that the Patriots get that call is a bit troubling. What you're saying is that the refs are in fact tainted towards them (or towards certain teams), and that you just have to deal with it. If that's the case, what's the point of playing the game? If there are certain teams or players that are favored, it's only actions similar to what Santana Moss and London Fletcher did (and maybe even DHall) that'll expose it for what it is. But just saying "you know they get that call so deal with it" sounds like rolling over and playing dead.

But what did he say that was factually incorrect? I think talking to him right after the game was a mistake, but he was right. The refs screwed us, you knew it was going to happen, it had been happening all day.