SportsBog: Green and Backstrom Interview Skins

Following the video one of our favorite sports writers, Dan Steinberg, was kind enough to share his write up with us. Thanks Dan.



"Wins are wins, man," Shaun Suisham told Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom after he had helped punt and kick the Redskins to that 16-13 home victory. "It's exciting. Different from you guys, we only play once a week, we only play 16 games. So every win is crucial. So it sure isn't pretty, but man, it's a win."

Green and Backstrom were in the Redskins' locker room as media members for Comcast SportsNet, so they continued to ask questions of Suisham, a Canadian and hockey fan.

"What was your technique tonight with the kicks?" Green asked. "I mean, you were on tonight."

"With the punting?" Suisham replied. "You know, Hunter [Smith] just couldn't go. When you get out there and play someone else's position--like if you had to play goalie or something--it gives you a lot more respect for what they do, when you have to go out on the field and do it."

(Could Green play goalie? "No," he said, "no no no. To play another position? Night and day.")

(As for Alex Ovechkin, I didn't see or talk to him, but apparently he was kicking field goals before the game. Read more on The Skins Blog.)

The hockey-playing duo eventually moved on to different players; I asked Green what the key question of the afternoon should be.
"if I could ask one question?" he repeated. "What are you guys doing tonight, and can I come? That's basically it."

They moved on to Clinton Portis, which was a pretty big get.

"I just wanted to ask you, how did it feel after this win?" Backstrom asked.

"It felt great, especially seeing the team overcome all the turnovers," Portis said. "You know, we continued to fight. I think we fought as a team."

"How about the future?" Backstrom continued. "How do you feel about the future?"

"I think we feel good man," Portis said. "We've got to take it one game at a time. You know, the biggest thing that happened today was for Jason to see that despite what he do, everybody got his back. We continued to fight with him and he can go out and lead this team. Instead of being down if something go wrong...I think he seen today, four turnovers, nobody gave up on him, everybody believe in him, and I think we came together as a team."

(And when will Portis Rock the Red in person? "Next home game," he said. "When's y'all next home game?"

"Thursday," Green said.

"I'll be there," Portis promised.)

Eventually, though, the mics turned back on Green and Backstrom, and they were forced to answer questions. Like, here was Backstrom, on his choice of a Sean Taylor jersey.

"Actually, I got Ovie's," Backstrom said. "I was sleeping over at Ovie's house [Saturday] night, so I just got his jersey. I usually wear Santana Moss. He's a catcher, right?"

And here was Green, when asked his feelings about American football.

"You know what, before I came here, we have the CFL, but I came to a game like this, it's night and day," he said. "So this is my team now."

"It's so small in Sweden," Backstrom said. "First time I went was last year. I just loved it. I was a Redskins fan, like, right away. It's unbelievable, to be here, 90,000 people. And to see the Redskins win, I mean, it's great. It's something you look forward to....I love Redskins, I'm a Redskins fan. So it's good for the team and good for the city, I think, that we cheer for each other."

At least six fans I met were wearing Caps gear and no Redskins stuff as a sign of protest, and tens of thousands booed the team at some point on Sunday. Not Green, though.

"I'm an athlete, so I know what it's like to be booed when things don't go well," he said. "You know, it's not one guy's fault, they're booing the team. But they pulled through, that's all that matters."

Posted in: