The NFL announced a new rule for the 2008 - 2009 football season.  Starting this fall, games will be played for only three quarters.  "Who needs 60 minutes?  Forty five are enough!  Anyone who watched this year's Super Bowl knows that nothing important or game changing ever happens in the last few minutes!", said NFL Commission Roger Goodell in announcing the decision.

Similar news was announced by Major League Baseball.  

OK, so first of all, I know this isn't the most important issue in the world.  But having just gotten to the end of one labor dispute, seeing this post today brought up issues which are several of my pet peeves.

On the great Washington Redskins teams of the first Joe Gibbs era, there were many members of the organization who endeared themselves to Redskins fans.

One had to admire the athleticism of quarterback Joe Theismann; the ferocity of running back John Riggins and defensive end Dexter Manley; the sheer brilliance of cornerback Darrell Green; the workmanlike, blue collar ethic of the Hogs (Joe Jacoby, Russ Grimm, Jeff Bostic, Mark May, and George Starke) and the optimism of their offensive line coach, Joe Bugel; the fearlessness of wide receiver Gary Clark; the uncanny ability of General Manager Bobby Beathard to find diamonds in the rough with late-round draft picks; the flamboyance of owner Jack Kent Cooke; and the steady leadership and innovation of head coach Joe Gibbs.

We marveled at the ability of all these people who made us fans and our city proud. But there was one player we all loved and rooted for during every game: wide receiver Art Monk.

Earlier this morning, a young, widely-misunderstood African-American man died from a bullet wound in a Miami, Florida hospital.  Outside of the Washington, DC area and the close fraternity that is the National Football League and the city of Miami -- where he was a star football player for the University of Miami Hurricanes -- few people, outside of his family and close circle of friends, knew him well.  Certainly not many in the media.  But his coaches and teammates loved him.  

His name was Sean Taylor and for the past 3 1/2 years, he played safety for my team, the Washington Redskins.

He was only twenty four years old.

Those of you who've read my work here know that I love sports analogies. And that I've been unsparing in my criticism of D.C. Democrats. With good reason: after George W. Bush took office, they went into a fetal position and hid under their desks, and have yet to emerge and challenge this administration.

The behavior of D.C. Democrats has become so maddening (no, I'm not referring to blowhard football announcer John Madden) that the only way to keep sane is to laugh at them

So to celebrate a new football season, I'd like to offer the following "what if" question: what if the D.C. Democrats were a pro football franchise? Follow me across the 50-yard line...

New York (Geek News Services)

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reacted swiftly and sharply to the revelation that the Bush Administration had illegally spied on American citizens by fining President Bush $500,000 and the Republican National Committee an additional $250,000.

In addition, the Republican Party will lose one large segment of swing voters if they make the playoffs this year, and a medium sized and small segement of swing voters if they don't make the playoffs.