Cuatro Siete

Ocho-Cinco? If I was going to take all the legal steps for a name change I would go with something way cooler than a Ocho-Cinco. I guess in my case it would be Cuatro-Siete, a little bit cooler but really kind of boring to put on the back of the jersey. Yea, it's different, but I think after the hype of change wears off Chad will regret not trying out a few different nick-names before the change. Although I don't know the legalities of multiple name change, maybe Ocho-Cinco could promote a new last name for every season. At least he would be selling a lot of Bengal's 85 jerseys.

I think that if I was in the process of a name change the first thing I would get rid of would be Chris. My first thought was to just exchange Touchdown in the first name slot, and then every time I catch a pass "Touchdown Cooley" would be announced. I also figured I could throw Cooley in the first name slot, which would allow me to incorporate many classy ideas into the last name position. Actually yes, Cooley is going to be my first name from now on. It would really make no difference in normal life since that's what everyone calls me anyway.
Now with Cooley as a first name I think a lot of fun options would open up for the last name position. Just running down a list I will go with every last name as one word.

- Cooley FishinginWyoming (I took this idea from TroutfishinginAmerica, an actual name).

- Cooley FedExFields
- Cooley CatchesRunsAndScores
- Cooley HatesDallas
- Cooley HatesPhilly
- Cooley CaptChaos

And, as you can see, I am open to just about anything. So any suggestions that you (the general public) has for me to play around with, let me know.

Fan of the Game

Ryan Zimmerman was nice enough to have us out to the game yesterday. We were supposed to hit BP before the game but there was too much rain in the middle of the day. I'm pretty sure I would have hit 10 bombs. I'll save that for a later date. I was definitely excited to put on my Zimmerman jersey and Nationals hat and attend a game as an actual fan for the first time this year. So it was no surprise that I won fan of the game in the 6th inning.


Thanks Ryan for getting us out.

Jacksonville

I feel pretty much the same about this week's performance as I did about last week's. I have just chosen to put my feelings into video. Next week will be better. No questions asked.

TC: Skins/Jags Top 10

10. No one was seriously injured

9. It wasn't as bad as last week

8. I saw an Obama '08 jersey on a guy

7. We should have 9 fresh defensive starters next week

6. Colt Brennan (72% no picks) and Marcus Mason (109 total yards)

5. The beard winner made it out

4. Reed Doughty's interception

3. Chief Zee got his Tomahawk back

2. I met John Madden

1. The preseason is finally over!!

Buge's

12:00 - 12:30 game-day meeting. This was the final preparation before the Redskins game. I wanted to share with everyone a my new favorite pre-game quote - coming from the midday meeting. Just a simple statement from one of the best coaches I have ever known. A man that I have respected and loved from the day I put a Redskins jersey on. In all honesty, I don't think Joe Bugel could have made himself any clearer. His enthusiasm just made my day.

I don't want to see any gobble wobbling like a bunch of chicken-shits. Snap the ball and hit 'em in the throat. How bout that baby!"

Thanks from SuperSkin

"OH man, oh man, oh man, oh man, OH MAN!" Is what I heard on the other line when I called to tell the Chief that we retrieved his stolen tomahawk. I can't even begin to explain the excitement that brought me. Being able to send out this "APB" and have the missing item returned in less than 6 hours...WOW!

I want to express to everyone how great this is but after reading this email from SuperSkin, I know I could never measure up to that task.

Tanner -

A few hours ago, I caught the blog entry (as well as some of the news articles) about Chief Zee's missing Tomahawk. While some may have found it humorous or amusing, I actually had a heavy heart for Zema. When you dress up as Jason Vorhees for Halloween and lose your hockey mask, you run out to Party City and buy a new one - no sweat, no worries. But when you have supported the Redskins (and its fan base) as long as Zema has, the tomahawk you've toted and waved for over 25 years takes on a new, sacred meaning. Pure and simple, it's more than a mascot's "toy" - it's a tool of the trade, and its battle tested.

I've appeared as "SuperSkin" at FedEx Field for over ten years - ever since former Redskins Owner Jack Kent Cooke came to me in a dream with the directive to help bring back the electric atmosphere to our home games. Take away my gloves, my utility belt, or - God forbid - my cape, and you have taken away a piece of who I am and what I stand for. These accessories tell tales of their usage and history - from deafening crowd noise on a huge defensive third down, to the collective silence that occurs before a game-winning field goal attempt. After 25 years of action at RFK Stadium and Fed Ex Field, oh what a story the Chief's tomahawk could tell.

Now, it appears to be back where it belongs, and it's clear that you and Chris are to thank for that. This story - and its ending - is about much more than a tongue-in-cheek effort to return game day "ammunition" to its rightful owner. It's about the relationship between the Washington Redskins franchise and its fans - a union like no other in the National Football League. From the galvanizing effect of our mutual grief during the Sean Taylor tragedy, to painting the city of Canton burgundy with fans during the Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend, to a star player using his notoriety to bring about the return of a super fan’s most prized possession, the Redskins and its fan base remain blissfully codependent. I like to think that the team "has our back", and we damn sure will return the favor we rock the house with noise this season.

Please accept my sincerest thanks, and send my gratitude to Chris as well. Redskins Nation can sleep well tonight. The tomahawk is alive and well, and so is the marriage between the team and its faithful brethren.

Burgundy and Gold Forever,

"SuperSkin"

Ghosts Don't Exist

Starting this website has given Chris and I several new opportunities that we would have never thought possible. Our latest will be producing and Executive producing an independent film, “Ghosts Don’t Exist.” This is going to be a great opportunity for us and we are very excited about working with 19th and Wilson on the project. Here's what they have to say about the news.

19th and Wilson is pleased to announce the addition of two new producers to our latest feature film project, "Ghosts Don't Exist". Joining the team are Executive Producer Chris Cooley and Producer Tanner Cooley. Chris – a Pro Bowl player with the Washington Redskins - is widely recognized as one of the NFL's elite tight ends in the game today. Tanner is an entrepreneur, and is Chris' brother and business partner. Their hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence have brought them great success thus far, and will undoubtedly propel this exciting project forward.

19W is still securing additional funding and aims to be in pre-production in Q4 of 2008. To find out more about 19th & Wilson and how you can be a part of this project and independent film, please check www.19w.com. For more on Chris Cooley, be sure to visit www.chriscooley47.com.

Be on the lookout for more in the press about this unique venture, and as always, we appreciate your support.

The Team at 19th and Wilson

If anyone has questions or wants to get involved in the film, email me at tanner@chriscooley47.com

Theft of a Tomahawk

Catastrophe has struck Redskins nation! The Chief's tomahawk has be stolen.

From the Style section of the Washington Post

On Aug. 9, the Chief -- a Washington Redskins superfan whose real name is Zema Williams-- set his signature prop down while he was signing autographs at the Redskins' preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. When he turned to retrieve it, it was gone -- subject to a prank or plain petty theft, he believes.

"I had that thing for 25 years. Anytime you saw me, I had my little tomahawk," Williams, 67, told us yesterday. "I don't see what they would do with it, but I'm sure whoever took it was playing a trick. I sat in the parking lot long after the game was over thinking someone would come out with it." But it never turned up.

The 12-inch tomahawk has a slender wooden handle with a rubber blade, and appears in many photos of Williams since he started attending Redskins games nearly 30 years ago. "It's my main piece -- it's got Sean Taylor 's number on it and everything," Williams said.

Williams isn't offering a reward, but hopes a good Samaritan will bring his tomahawk back: "If it's out there, please return it. It's a part of me."

I know that the Chief has been harassed countless times over the years for being one of the truest of fans, but this is my first witnessed account since becoming a Redskin. I am disgusted that someone would stoop so low as to steal from such a great man. This tomahawk is to be carried in honor of fallen super fans and I am offering a free autographed jersey to the person who finds and returns one the Chief's most prized possessions.

Quit Playing Games...

Alright, for the last week I tried to hide the fact that I accompanied Christy to the Backstreet Boys, it just got out so fast. Although not as bad as the Brady Quinn pictures, I guess I should have assumed that I would make all kinds of webpages for this little stunt. There was no way to anticipate I would be in the Washington Post the next day, as well as DC101 within the week. Since my Backstreet affairs have been made fully public I'm glad I get to tell my side of the story.

No shit I would rather be backstage with AC/DC, Motley Crue, or Jovi, it just wasn't in the cards. My Backstreet alibi is a singular justification; the wife grew up singing "Quit playing games with my heart." From day one she repressed nothing about her love for Brian Littrell and the rest of the boys. While plans usually aren't made in Cooley household more than a couple days in advance, she made it clear two months in advance that we would be attending the concert. This was my "take the wife to the ballet and feel good about yourself" event for the year.

This Wolf Trap night was going to be Christy's 7th, yes 7th Backstreet concert, but I figured I could add to the ante of all of them. We made it through the gates and shortly after the opening act (Girlicious) began, we were headed backstage. I have to admit at this point even I was excited. What I mean is, really excited for her. This was as good for her as a full Playboy Mansion tour would have been for Lloyd Christmas.

We followed one of the production managers through some weird concrete building back towards what started looking like a locker room. Had Christy not been there, I'm not sure I wouldn't have recognized the two dudes who came around the corner, but by the tight squeeze in my left hand I knew we were in business. Christy crept out from behind me, her stomach a ball of nervous excitement and turmoil. Ignoring her rising panic, Christy began shaking hands with Brian Litrelle and Nick Carter.
On our way to the concert we talked about how it might go if we got to head backstage so now I laugh at the actual meeting. On their way out of the locker room Nick brought a football to be signed, so we bartered my autograph for a group picture. I'm ashamed that we were the random fans who couldn't get their digital camera to work so we had to try about 4 different pictures. Christy then explained the concert was my wedding present to her, which seemed cool to the guys. Then we talked about College Football and my golf shirt -- weird because it was fully described in the style section of the post the next day. Five more minutes filled with fledgling questions and the guys had to get ready for the show. Before we took off Nick proffered us better Event Tickets, but all was well with the ones we had and then we were off.

After making it back to our seats Christy says she could go home now and her night would have been complete. Before I was able to take her up on her offer the Backstreet Boys were punching at each other singing "Larger than Life" in an on-stage boxing ring. Most of the concert was a blur to me, but Christy can remember it with an adrenaline clarity. By the time we made it back to the car I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I'm sure our night will be talked about in my house like the Washington Redskins had just played the Super Bowl.

Panthers 47 - Redskins 3 : (

The Carolina week began as our first "real" game preparation after an overextended training camp stay. We are still in the middle of what compares to a 1985 preseason. Our starters knew they were out after just a half of football. The win/loss record as well as any of the stats from the game will quickly be forgotten. Steve Smith and the Carolina running backs are just awesome. We could blame the line, we could blame the defense, hell, we could.... Wait, forget all that shit! We played fuc**** terrible. It was like we brought out our JV team to play the state championship. 47-3! I just don't think any excuse is going to cut it this week.

Hail to the Panthers! Nothing to say other than they kicked our asses all over the field. The 10 year old girl who sang the National Anthem could have taken my place in the post game interviews to explain how bad the Redskins looked. For that matter, she could have gotten some of her friends together and put on the Burgundies.

I understand that we are still in the preseason, but being embarrassed in the NFL blows. Julius Peppers and company unleashed a torrent of speed and power on our offense and left us to wrestle with no apparent answer. I can't speak for our D, but if I could I'm sure there wouldn't be much to say. By the end of the first quarter I joined a team of stooped shoulders and dull eyes watching for the relief of halftime.

Of course much concern will invade the Redskins after this week, but hopefully there is compensation in our trial. A confident 3-0 team has been humbled with more than enough time to inventory our problems. It seems unlikely, but everyone has something to learn from a loss like the one we just took. We will also have a new motivation to improve as a team.

Tomorrow's sunrise marks the 11th day left in preparation for the Super Bowl champs. There is no question in my mind whether or not this team will show up to Redskins Park ready to work. Keeping in mind that we still play Jacksonville, we will be ready for a Thursday night showdown in New York. This loss will do nothing inside the locker room besides renew vigor - and for the first time in the past couple weeks I can't wait to get back to practice.

Cast Your Vote Now to Crown the Beard King

The finale of the beard contest is upon us. After reviewing many great beards, we will now be posting the top 6 for a fan vote which will be on the right side of the blog. Please VOTE and give the contestants your feedback about their beards. Thanks to everyone who entered. The winner will receive two tickets and a parking pass to next week's home game against Jacksonville.

#6 is disqualified because he has shaved! All of his current votes will not count and please, if you voted for him, change your vote to one of the remaining contestants.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6 DISQUALIFIED!! DO NOT VOTE! PIC STAYS CAUSE THE BEARD IS AWESOME. PLEASE CHANGE YOUR VOTE TO ONE OF THE REMAINING CONTESTANTS.

Rookie Show 2007 Part 1: An Ode to Joe Gibbs

Last year with the end of training camp looming the 2007 rookies, led by Jordan Palmer, put on what may be the greatest performance ever. We ran across this tape and saw that it was too good not to share with the rest of the world. In it's entirety it is 25 minutes long so we will be breaking it up into several installments for your viewing pleasure.

Part one: The show begins with Coach Gibbs (Palmer) addressing the team about the days agenda. I especially love at the end of the clip watching the real Coach Gibbs reacting. 

Video for this post has been deleted. Sorry :(

20 Questions - Nicknames

I know, I know, the 20 questions from everyone got a little bit neglected, but they haven't been forgotten. One of my responses was to the nicknames post. When I first looked at the question I could only figure a couple of the guys that had real nicknames, although after walking around the locker room pre-practice I was amazed at how many guys actually get called by a nickname. I realize that some of the nicknames are no brainers, but I wanted to give a pretty honest look at who gets called what. Of course I didn't list anyone who goes primarily by a first or last name. I also excluded any media or fan nicknames; yea believe it or not none of my teammates call me "Captain Chaos," and no one calls CP "Southeast Jerome." Really, that would just be some stupid shit.

- Ladell Betts – Buttsie
- Santana Moss – Tana Man
- Fred Davis – Boozie/Booze dog/Anything that you can incorporate with booze.
- Ethan Albright – Red Snapper
- Shawn Suisham – Shizam

- Khary Campbell – Moo-Stash/Mu-Stash/I can't figure the better way to spell it.- Shawn Springs – Blue Foot
- Fred Smoot – Fredlacio/Smoot is notorious for making up new nicknames for himself, this can change on a daily basis.
- Mike Sellers – Fat Boy/He has "Dat Boy" tattooed on his arm, but Fat Boys is way cooler.
- Marcus Washington – Mwatt
- Carlos Rogers – Los/Like I said, there would be some no brainers.
- Dometric Evans – Meat
- Ryan Boschetti – Greasy Meatball
- Warren Simmons – Rennie/The tight ends call him "Sweets."
- Colt Brennan – McGarrett/Dt. Jack McGarrett
- Derek Divine – Calves
- Stephon Heyer – Wookie/Chewey/Just making the Wookie call- Todd Yoder – RRRRRRNNNNNYoder/Roll your r's, add some n sound and then Yoder.
- Brian Kozlowski – K-O-Z Lowski/I know he is gone, but he is my friend and I love that nickname.
- Todd Collins – Rainman
- Chris Cooley – When I first came to the team everyone called me Archie. I don't even know why, but it started with the coaching staff. I actually think Joe Bugle didn't know my first name until last year. Cool-Dog is also an old standby.

2008 ALL-MAXIM TEAM

So if you put these two terms together, Maxim and Chris Cooley, the first thing that probably comes to mind is Christy. Well when we were on vacation in Wyoming Maxim magazine actually flew out a photographer to do a photo shoot of Chris. It was very crazy to have a 6’6" Swede telling Chris to “pop” his chin about 100 times during hour long shoot.

Besides seeing Chris' pic and interview in Maxim, I have to say the highlight of the article for me was Maxim’s list of other things Bill Belichick could cheat on; taxes, monopoly, your lady, World of Warcraft, and even death. It is definitely worth your time to go purchase this mag and check out the article.

Top 20 Preseason songs Week 3

I felt like when I posted my Top 20 songs for the Colts game it was a hit. I think this will be something that is better for me to do for away games. There is so much down time in the hotel and music seems to be how I’ve been filling it. This week’s Top 20 is sort of a 90’s list with a few other songs but Bill Khayat and I put this together and we hope you like it as much as we do.



1. Warrant – Down Boys
2. Counting Crows – Long December
3. Everclear – Santa Monica
4. Sick Puppies – All the Same
5. Oasis – Wonderwall
6. Gavin Rossdale – Love Remains the Same
7. White Snake – Slow and Easy
8. Spacehog – In the Meantime
9. Bush – Come Down
10. Finger Eleven – One Thing
11. Sublime – Pool Shark
12. Blur – Song 2
13. Smashing Pumpkins – Today
14. Weezer – Say It Ain’t So
15. Bad Company – Bad Company
16. Coconut Records – West Coast
17. Red Hot Chile Peppers – Under the Bridge
18. Spin Doctors – Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong
19. The Connells – '74-75
20. The Flys – Got You Where I Want You

Then I went to Mike Sellars and I tried to get his Top 20 straight from the “recently played” but after 17 Rachel Nichols grabbed me for an interview. So now we have this.


1. Yo Gottie ft. Lil’ Boosie and Webbie – Keep It Gangsta’
2. Lil’ Scrappy – Livin’ in the Projects
3. Lil’ Yola – Ain’t Gun Let Up
4. Master P – Break ‘Em Off Something
5. Mike Jones – Back Then (remix)
6. Petey Pablo – I Swear
7. Plies – 100 Years
8. Ray Cash – Bumpin’ My Music (remix)
9. T.I. – Livin’ the Sky
10. Soulja Boy – Crank Dat
11. Trick Daddy – Thug Holiday
12. Tru – I Always Feel Like
13. UGK – Internatinoal Players Anthem
14. Hurricane Chris – A Bay Bay
15. Kanye West – Can’t Tell me Nothin’
16. Goodie Mob – Fly Away
17. DJ Kahled – I’m So Hood

Jurassic Park

My brother and his wife Kirsten just moved here from Utah. Kirsten will be writing about life around the house while they are staying with us.

Every day we wake up bright and early to the serene sound of the pool-guys jack hammering their little hearts out. We pry open our eyes and see them laughing and talking about god knows what and Tanner and I look at each other and wonder will this ever end? Even though we have to hear the installation of C squared’s new pool and deck we have definitely had a warm welcome in VA. Sometimes warm and wet. We brought our two pups with us and now live in what one might consider a petting zoo.


The Mr. & Mrs. Chris Cooley residence now consists of FOUR people, FOUR yorkies, TWO cats, and ONE great dane, and all of the outdoor wildlife as well...Chris lives in freaking rural nation. Its kind of scary to tell you the truth, especially at night. When we let the dogs out I'm afraid of what might emerge from the wilderness.

Chris & Christy's house always provides a story or two to tell and that's what we love. Last night was Chris's first night at home (he's been at training camp all month, you know). Christy made a delish meatloaf and then we opened over 3,000 football cards last night in search of an Adrian Peterson card. I felt like I was looking for the golden ticket...my thumbs KILL from opening so many packs! This is what we consider entertainment.

Then we started watching the Olympics so we could cheer on our favorite gymnast Shawn Johnson...we waited and waited and waited for gymnastics to start. We were swearing and making fun of the other athletes because we just wanted to watch the all-around gymnastics and it was getting ugly because 3 hours had passed. By the time it finally started Chris & Christy had fallen asleep and Tanner and I can't even harass them because we didn't even make it to the floor routines before we were staring at the back of our eyelids at 1:00 a.m.

So, yeah things are going good...we are slowly realizing that this is not an extended vacation it's real life. It's different but it is definitely real.

Posted by Kirsten Cooley

Pack Wars

We are doing a video post for comcastsportsnet every week. For this weeks my brother and I went to PSGamegear and played pack wars (the video explains). We had a blast doing it and opened about 5 boxes of cards soon to be on Ebay.  Enjoy.

Chris vs. OnStar

So today Chris and I drove over to the mall to open some football cards on his break. I had the camera ready since we were filming pack-wars for the Comcast blog and Chris must have been adjusting his mirror and bumped the Onstar button. For the first part of this video he doesn't know I am filming....

Time Filler

Yes, training camp is still happening. It's hard for me to believe after three full weeks of tiresome days that we would return for another, but yes, Zorn is making it happen. The thing about our current situation is we spend quite a bit of time on "breaks" or as Joe Gibbs used to term them "siestas." The team had a morning practice from 8:25 until 10:35, a special teams practice at 2:00 and then meetings from 4:00 to 5:30. We also spent two hours of the evenings meeting from 7:30 to 9:30. Everything in-between the times listed is considered down time. Players can pretty much do what they want, there just isn't time to do much of anything.

Because of the weird break schedules quite a few of the guys have come up with some hobbies. We have pool and ping pong tables, some guys plays spades, others play euchre. Fred Smoot even brought a projector and set up his own Madden league. What has amazed me is that one of the most popular past times is the games section in the newspaper. Crossword puzzles and sudoku are crazy addicting! I think this got started with the kickers, but now we have guys running all over the locker room trying to figure out clues. Tonight at dinner coach Z even wanted me to give him a clue to figure out. He may have been just testing me to find out if I was gonna bring the crossword into his meeting, but I'm figuring he's got crossword fever.

I even sacrificed my entire locker room routine because my nose was glued to sudoku. What's worse is that I used a pen and put one of the numbers in the wrong place and it ruined my whole puzzle five minutes before I had to go practice. Talk about a let down! All in all, I wasted around three hours looking at the stupid game section of the paper. Yea I know, I need some new time filler, just let me out of camp!

TC: First Home Game

The Bills game yesterday marked the start of what I think will be my best season ever as a fan. I mean the number of professional games that I have ever attended will double by December, so I am stoked to say the least. I am going to do my best at giving my post game recap for every game this year. Round 1…here we go.



At FedEx field they have quite the parking situation with their colors; yellow, purple, orange, and finally green. In my short-lived career as a fan I have parked in only one of these colors, yellow. But yesterday, having 12 people to account for, I got the luxury of scalping a green pass for $40 and hoofing it about a mile into the stadium. I must say that it was definitely an experience that any real fan can appreciate. The jerseys, tailgating, beer, and, of course, an occasional Dallas Sucks chant for the Redskins faithful. This walk is something that before the game is unbeatable, but after the game, almost unbearable.

Yesterday we had a few first timers with us and once inside we made the mandatory stop at the Hall of Fame Store. I love it in there but they need to start selling some more Cooley gear. Come on! From there it was time to hit the concessions (note to self: bring food next time. Can’t afford $10 per item for dollar menu food). After making it to our seats with a full stomach it was photo time. I made my way down to the dream seats and caught a bit of the warm up. I am thinking that after 8 home games these pics will get old so please let me know what you want to see from inside the stadium and I will do my best to get it (I did get some good Cooley fan shots as you can see in the slide show). I'm looking forward to some crazy ideas!

I have to say I am very impressed with the new intro of the starters. I hope that this is something that continues in the future. But after that my only two highlights came in the 3rd quarter. The first, a girl sitting behind me actually thought she started the wave and screamed, “Go! Yes! Look! IT’S GOING AROUND THE WHOLE THING!” the entire time the crowd was doing the wave. So ya, that was some pretty funny shit. The second was when a dumb ass T.O. fan got chanted into taking off his ugly blue jersey to “DALLAS SUCKS!” by nearly the entire crowd. Awesome! Absolutely awesome.

After attending my first preseason game ever I must say, I can’t wait for the real thing. I knew it wouldn’t be intense like a real game but I found myself doing more people watching than football watching once our starters came out. But I am definitely not complaining, football is in the air.

NFL in the Olympics??

Friday marked the beginning of what is arguably the greatest combined sporting event in the world, The 2008 Summer Olympics. Every four years we have this unique opportunity to watch the best athletes from around the globe compete in their respective sports for a chance at the Gold. Undoubtedly over the next 21 days hearts will be broken and controversy will ensue. How could it not? The games are in China!

However, I realized this week that some of the most elite athletes in the world will not have the opportunity to participate. Instead they are busting their buts in training camps around the country preparing for what will certainly be a unique and unpredictable season as 32 teams all prepare to compete to be crowned the 2009 NFL Champion of the world. It is truly unfortunate that global expansion by the NFL (NFL Europa) failed miserably and American football will never receive consideration to become an Olympic sport. Honestly, is there no place for American football in the Olympics? I know I would prefer to watch badminton, synchronized swimming and archery….right. Although the Brazilian synchronized swimming twins should do wonders to increase their sports popularity.

If there cannot be a place for the entire sport, there must be a place for its individual athletes, right? I am sure we all remember Hershel Walker’s and Jeremy Bloom’s failed attempts. But to date has there ever been an NFL athlete who has competed and won a medal in the Olympics?

Just think how interesting it would be to see the following NFL athletes compete in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games:

Jason Taylor: Fencing. Did you see his footwork during Dancing with the Stars? Plus, just think about the wing span advantage he would have over his opponents.
Steve Smith: Boxing. Anthony Bright and Ken Lucas can attest to his boxing skills.
The Manning Brothers: Handball. Come on. You score by throwing a ball just smaller than a football through a goal.
Deangleo Hall: Track & Field. He runs a 4.15 40 yard dash.
Larry Allen: Weightlifting. Just watch him bench press 700 lbs.
Chris Cooley: Greco Roman Wrestling. He was an All-American wrestler in high school and the US undoubtedly needs a new face for wrestling to replace Rulon Gardner. Who better?

My point is that not only are we are missing out on watching some of the most elite athletes in the world compete, but they too are missing out on a great and patriotic opportunity to win a medal for their country. Don’t we need a little more excitement than Dara Torres?

Posted by Jake Stewart

Fans Take on Canton

The Trip to Canton

Even as a Guru of the bigs, I had not been to the NFL Hall of Fame. Nestled in a small city in Ohio about 4 hours away, the idea of a trip to see the legends of the game enshrined on one building was too much to pass up. And even though some people believe it is just a hallway named the Hall of Fame, I wanted to see for myself. A couple of my friends and I packed up some memorabilia, permanent markers, and a couple jerseys and headed northwest towards Canton. This past weekend six players were enshrined, three of which were from Washington, my city of football. And when half the inductees are Redskins, it's time to head to Canton.

Arriving Sunday around 1pm, we decided to head into the Hall to take in what has manifested into such a rich collection of memorabilia, stories, and multimedia commemorating a sport that America loves. And apparently to take all this in requires a small fee of $18. Wristband aside, I was spellbound at how this small building (from the outside) was able to hold over 150 years of football. We milled around at the start of the museum looking at each NFL team set-up with a authentic helmet and a small poster behind it commemorating each team. As exciting as that sounds, let's keep walking.

Moving on, we entered into the "head" room, where all the enshrined players, well are enshrined in golden metallic busts of them, most of which look nothing like them. Obviously, I wouldn't know everyone one, but seeing the greatest players who played the game that I love was breath-taking. Baugh, Tarkenton, Smith, Payton, Unitas, Young, Aikman, Ditka, Madden, just amazing to see these men, enshrined as if they were in front of you. Then there were rooms where you could pick different players and watch clips of them, and them talking. One screen held Unitas, Payton, and Baugh which I watched. The fact that they talked about their playing and now they are now dead gave me goosebumps, and reminded me of what these men had done for the game of football. After watching a short film and snapping some photos in front of the Lombardi Trophy, it was time to leave.

But yet, there was a football game going on that evening, that we had tickets for (what a plot twist!!!). Redskins hosted the Colts at Fawcett Stadium, home to several high school and collegiate teams. Holding around 24,000 and change, we had tickets first row by the endzone. Great seats, and even though it was a pre-season contest, it was still football. I decided to get some autographs, and even though names like Harrison and Manning were not in attendance, it bothered me little as my eye was on the Big 4 7. Chris Cooley, my favorite player for the Redskins, did not emerge until middle way through the warm up period. But the way the crowd reacted seeing the figure that resembled a lumberjack was phenomenal. Walking out of the tunnel, the 6'3" 240lb TE out of Utah State was greeted with a loud thunderous applause and his trademark Cooley chant. "They're not booing him, they're saying Coooooooollleyyyy." He waved to the fans indicating he would be over to chat and sign some memorabilia. But what was funny was that fans weren't the only ones trying to get memorabilia signed. Cooley, unknown to almost all fans except my friends and I, was carrying a small holder of playing cards to get signed. Very funny and entertaining to us, and in the slim case that you are reading this Cooley, I need one of those eBay paintings!! Cooley went through some stretches and warmed up, then turning towards the fans. As he walked past I screamed, "Cooley!!" He turned to me and waved, absolutely making my day at the game and walked to the larger portion of fans. I gave chase and around 5 minutes later had my ticket stub signed. Many other fans (30-40) also got his autograph, most likely dwarfing any other player's number of signatures easily.

And I think that's what draws people to Cooley. He's a regular guy, who just happens to catch any ball in his area and make the Pro Bowl. Even him talking to the fans was as if it was any other conversation to him. That's what makes him a NFL player that any fan can appreciate. And by the way, my signed ticket will not be under eBay listings. Adding onto that, Cooley had 2 catches during the game, for right around 10-15 yds.

And if the trip could not get any memorable to me, there was a moment that will stick in my mind for a very long time. During the pre-game warm ups, there was a program on the screens about the Redskins' season last year. The subject of Sean Taylor soon took over the screen, and the whole stadium with it. I commented to my friend that during this time would be the quietest the stadium would be the entire game there. If the screen had been muted, there would have been sheer silence. Looking across the field I noticed that many players were not moving, but glued to the screen that the fans were watching. Portis, Cooley, and others were near the 50-yd line still watching the presentation. Many of them were on the screen talking about the passing of Taylor, most of whom were choked up in the clips shown on the screen, which in turn was affecting them watching it. Daniel Snyder, owner of the Redskins, was also on the field watching this. A photograph came onto the screen with audio of Snyder talking about Sean Taylor. The photo was of Taylor giving a fist- pound to Snyder during the pre-game last year. For those who have never been to Fed-Ex Field, when the Redskins run out past Snyder, they slap his hand. The photo reminded me of the painting of God reaching out with one finger to touch "mankind." It shook me up, and as I looked at Snyder's reaction, it worsened the affect on me. Snyder slowly put a finger behind his dark sunglasses and wiped away a tear, taking a deep breath and slowly shaking his head. Sure this game is also a business, but what I saw proved that there is still a human side to the game, and that even though there are constant stories of teams bickering with each other, there is still a feeling of family and love shared amongst the players, and hopefully money will never take that away. They hadn't just lost a Pro Bowl player, they hadn't just lost a teammate, but a friend, a member of their family.

The game was great (Redskins 30-16) and I was thoroughly impressed with Colt Brennan, who not only acknowledged fans several times, but just was absolutely on point for the Redskins while in the game. Second string maybe? We'll have to see. I was also impressed with other rookies in the game, and I must say that with some off-season acquisitions the Redskins are contenders to make the playoffs again this season.

We got back into town around 2:30-3:00a.m., and even though I was tired, it was one of the best days of summer for me. Recap: (1) I experienced the Hall of Fame (2) I was able to be acknowledged by Chris Cooley, Jason Taylor, Tony Dungy and got Cooley to personally sign my ticket (3) The Redskins won (4) I got a taste of what this season for the Redskins will be like (winning). See you around like a donut. - The Guru

Beard Co-Champions

How am I going to explain myself to brothers with amazing beards when I shaved mine off a week early? Well, by crowning them beard champions. I feel like there will be no dispute on my decision, these crazy canadian beards are maybe the best I've ever seen. I've also decided that since these guys may not be able to make it to the game they will be able to choose a different game. This decision was made only after the amazing pictures graced my email.

Now I understand that some people may feel cheated out of the contest. Especially since I was the only judge. Christy and I have taken this into close consideration and decided that I will make one more beard category! A fan vote will be implimented for the third and final beard winner. I am going to limit it to a final five contestants that I feel deserved to be seen. The pictures and the voting will be up for a week on the site starting next Wednesday. If you have not sent in final beard pictures or want to alter your final picture please do so in the next day and send to cooleyfans@gmail.com. The winner will take tickets to the next home preseason game and a pass to come hang out in the players lot after the game. Once again thanks so much for participating in the contest. It has been so much for for me and I hope for all involved. As soon as possible I will conduct a full video interview with our new winners.

Free Stuff!!

Jason Taylor made a huge impact in the locker room his first week of training camp. The team arrived to the locker room prior to an afternoon practice finding a heap of stacked boxes in front of Jason's locker. Very shortly after, Jason started handing out everything Michael Jordan. I'm not talking about a couple shirts, guys were packing back four or five pairs of shoes, shorts, hats, anything you can think of with the Jordan logo on it. This was taken as an extremely grateful gesture by all the guys, some even teased it was his way of making quick friends. To my surprise, a week later and the Michael Jordan Christmas was on again. This time more guys were aware of what was going on, and because the first handout went so well the crowd quickly grew to over 20 players. From all accounts the second MJ handout was even more successful than the first.

Thursday, week three Redskins training camp and why wouldn't there be another enormous shipment of Jordan gear to Taylor's locker. Were talking thousands of dollars in gear and although it took me three weeks to gain interest into what was going on, I'm now hooked. Jason says, "They (Nike) just send me all the new stuff they're working on, I mean all the new colors and styles and I try 'em out." Well, not just Jason Taylor is trying out the new Nikes, because by handout number three, 40 Redskins were wrestling for anything they could get their hands on. If I didn't know better I would have thought it was a bunch of little kids swarming and begging for Jason's autograph, but the only name that mattered in our locker room was Michael Jordan. Some came away with boxes of goodies and some came away wanting.

I'm proud to say I came away with a couple great blog pictures, so everyone can thank me for sacrificing new shorts for the blog. Hahaha. (Some times I feel like I have to make the sarcasm obvious.) Before we walked out to practice Jason told me, "This will happen at least every two weeks and guys will never get used to it. I never know half the stuff they're sending cause it's gone so fast."

More 20 questions

One of the 20 questions was a celebrity offense. I looked no further than Clinton Portis to field this question. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

QB - Uncle Rico
FB - Mr. T. (Actually looks like our current fullback)
RB - Kung Fu Joe (Clinton choose him to fill his shoes)
TE - The Joker
WR - Forest Gump
WR - Sam Rockwell (Actually his character in The Green Mile)
T - Dewey Cox
G - Shrek
C - Rambo
G - The Terminator
T - Hightower (From Police Academy and did play in the NFL)

I know two of the pictures are missing and the one's I have are all over the place, but it's hard as hell getting these to move around on my little CPU screen. Accept it. Also, I will continue answering more of the questions. We still have a bunch of great one's and I need to take a turn.