We’re excited to introduce our October “SuperFan”, Sam Wolk, AKA “The Horn Guy”.  If you’re a Washington Capitals fan, you probably already know who the Horn Guy is.  If you’ve been to a Caps game, then you 100% know who the Horn Guy is…because you’ve heard him!  He plays the role of 6th man in Verizon Center to inspire Caps fans to get loud and support their team.  What’s most interesting is he does it with a plastic toy to get fans to shout “Lets GO CAPS” in unison!

Check out the Q&A with The Horn Guy below & get to know this diehard Caps fan and why he became so faithful to rocking the Red!

WHERE YOU CAN FIND “The HORN GUY”:

TWITTER @TheHornGuy

Caps Road Crew  

Dan Uggla:

Now Uggla is normally a player I’d tell the Nationals to run away from since he is a 1-year rental and wants a boatload of money to resign (above market value). Despite being an excellent offensive 2B, who could help out at 1B or corner OF, Uggla didn’t make sense for Washington due to his contract. One year rentals are great if you are a contender, but Nationals are likely on the outside looking in for the next year or two, so it wouldn’t make sense to give up a couple good young players for a one year rental.

As it turned out Uggla was traded for a Utility player making $2.5 million for one year, and solid but unspectacular middle relief left-hander. The Nationals could have easily topped that deal, and even if Uggla was only around for one year it would have been worth it. Uggla would have helped mitigate the expected loss of Adam Dunn with his offensive production, though it would have meant slowing down the progress of 2B prospect Denny Espinosa. While it is possible they could have moved Willingham to RF to allow for Uggla in LF, to keep Espinosa in the lineup I would have had no problem with Uggla at 2B. Sure the defense is awful, but if they signed a solid replacement 1B (Carlos Pena, Lance Berkman etc.), the Nats offense would have been pretty good. At the same time Espinosa would have had more time to fully develop, and would be ready to fill in mid-season if Uggla was dealt at the trade deadline. While we may never know since the Braves are likely to be contenders, Uggla should have more trade value at the deadline than what the Marlins received for him. At worse the Nationals would have gotten two draft picks when he left as a free agency (which I still think is more value than what the Braves gave up). Either way It would have been a solid move for the Nats that would have made them better in 2011, and given them options to get future value as well.

Cameron Maybin:

Maybin was at one time a heralded prospect, and at 23 still has plenty of potential left. While he has the speed, talent, and minor league numbers that would suggest a major league star, he has failed thus far to produce in the Majors. He would have been a great buy low candidate for the Nationals who truly don’t have a long term answer in CF. Maybin could use a change of scenery and a new approach at the plate, where he hasn’t shown an ability to hit off-speed pitches. He might never develop into a star, but should at least be a league average centerfielder, based on his defensive potential. Maybin was well worth the two relief pitchers he was traded for, and would have made a nice addition to the Nationals.

Losing out on him isn’t the end of the world, and there was some risk of being a bust or Milledge 2.o. But given his makeup, character, and work ethic (which are all thought to be exceptional) I think he would have brought value to the Nationals.

Jake Westbrook:

Westbrook was one of the top 2nd class pitchers in this free agent market, behind Cliff Lee. He had further value considering he wouldn’t cost a draft pick like Carl Pavano or Jorge De La Rosa. Now no one was going to mistake Westbrook for an ace, or a true adequate replacement for missing out on Lee, but he has a lot of value. He is a middle of the rotation starter, who actually projects better than last year’s free agent signing Jason Marquis. While it is true the Nats are stocked with middle-back of the rotation starters many of them are still very much unproven. There is no guarantee that Maya, Detwiler, J.D. Martin, Atliano, or Stammen are ever going to really figure it out. In addition, both Marquis and Lannan struggled last season, and Livan Hernandez might not be so successful in 2011. There are a lot of question marks in this rotation beyond Jordan Zimmermann (who also hasn’t established anything), and things could be murkier in 2012 when Strasburg comes back, but Marquis and Hernandez are free agents. Westbrook would have been a solid number 2 starter (for most other teams he is a 3 or 4) for Washington in 2011, and a good option for number 3 in 2012.

Westbrook ended up signing for roughly what Marquis signed for last year (though he does have a no-trade clause) so he would have been affordable to the Nats. I don’t think missing out on him is the end of the world, but he would have been a nice compliment if they somehow got Cliff Lee, and a decent cheap fall back option.

None of these moves would have put the Nationals over the top, but all of them could have benefited Washington next season (and likely beyond). Maybin and Westbrook would have been the smartest moves, while Uggla would have been the flashiest. Hopefully the Nats can find some other smart buys on the free agent and trade market (and they are out there), but so far I think they missed out on some interesting options.

If you have followed my writing in the past you know that I was against acquiring McNabb from the beginning. I believed that the cost was too high in terms of draft picks for a one-year fix at Quarterback, for a 4-12 team. Even if they resign him, that has no value in what the Redskins gave up to acquire him. Also, it has been made pretty clear that McNabb wants Brady-Manning money, which I don’t think he comes close to deserving. While McNabb represented an upgrade, it was a short term fix, and would take a  good (not great, and certainly not elite (i.e. Fanchise)) quarterback and take him out of the one system he has run his entire career, and surround him with inferior weapons, and a weaker offensive line. This was not a recipe for success, despite the Redskins 4-3 record.

Don’t get me wrong I’m ecstatic with a winning record, but I remember starting out 6-2 two years ago and collapsing in the 2nd half. I also know this that McNabb really can’t take a lot of credit for this 4-3 record. In two of those wins (Dallas and Chicago) it was the defense that won the game, and in the Chicago game McNabb almost gave the game away. As for the other wins McNabb was a mixed bag. He started out sensational against the Eagles, but had an awful 2nd half, that almost allowed Philly to come back and win. Against the Packers McNabb was horrible in the 1st half, but after a couple of key injuries he put it together in the late 2nd half/overtime. As for the losses, you can easily put the Rams game at his feet since he could never sustain a drive against the Rams defense, against the Colts McNabb put up a ton of yards, put couldn’t get it in the endzone. McNabb missed some wide open receivers deep, had a couple of costly INT’s, took some bad sacks, and worst of all had horrible clock management late in the game. McNabb played a lot better in the Houston loss, though a couple of those negatives showed up when the game counted. In fact the Redskins have seen McNabb take quite a few needless sacks (although he has escaped a few as well), overthrow deep receivers, and have trouble managing the clock in late game situations.

Now that all being said, I’d easily go with McNabb over Rex Grossman, who at this point is no better than a solid back up in this league. Grossman might know the system better, but McNabb is the more dynamic player. On top of that the team invested so much into McNabb that his upside outweighs his mistakes right now. But I will say this, if the Redskins had a young quarterback waiting in the wings (i.e. a Colt McCoy, Jimmy Clausen) I’d be more inclined to go with the future, instead of trying to make excuses for McNabb.

I also think the Redskins might be getting to the point where they consider letting McNabb walk after this year. That would be a tough pill to swallow considering what they gave up to get him, and since they don’t have any replacement already on their roster, but they can’t be considering giving him a raise at this point. I don’t care what the Redskins record is at the end of the year, all that matters is what McNabb’s numbers warrant (Remember Matt Cassel). As of Now McNabb’s numbers don’t warrant half of the $12 million+ he is making this year, and aren’t in the same galaxy for what he wants to be paid next year (he is probably looking between $15-17 million a year over 4-6 years). Washington can’t make that financial commitment if they want to be competitive going forward (it’s not as though they have a lot of young cheap talent, since they keep giving up draft picks). A week ago I would have been content doing between $11-13 million a year up to 3 years, but now I’m beginning to think that is too high. Unless he drastically picks up his game I don’t know how the Redskins can think to offer more than $8-10 million a year.

One final note on accountability with the Redskins and the fans/media love for McNabb, is that they need to start treating him like an equal and not like he is somehow above the rest of the team. Everyone got on Clinton Portis in the past for having preferential treatment, but seems to have no problem with McNabb getting the royal treatment. I also don’t get how there really isn’t any news story about McNabb blowing off his offensive coordinator Kyle Shannahan, after he threw a horrible pick six, yet Albert Haynesworth was BLASTED for standing away from an apparent defensive meeting. The Haynesworth story turned out to be completely false (though it doesn’t seem like many Skins fans know that, as they still use it against him) as it was a meeting of linebackers and defensive backs, and as of yet the Redskins haven’t tried to play Haynesworth that far out of position. Yet it is clear as day, that McNabb didn’t want to be ‘coached’ after his bad decision (that nearly cost them the game), and there was barely any comments about it in the broadcast or in the news reports. Why is Haynesworth attacked for doing nothing, and McNabb is protected even when he is disrespectful? And take Haynesworth out of the picture, is there another player that could talk back to the coach and blow him off, and not have any repercussions? When McNabb starts playing like Manning or Brees he can get a pass, but until then he needs all the coaching he can get.

While the upsets are aplenty this year, none was bigger than yesterday’s Northern Iowa over Kansas game. While it killed probably half the people brackets (including my own) it was hard not to root for Northern Iowa to win yesterday. It might not truly be David beating Goliath, but its pretty close. No one gave Northern Iowa a chance to win that game yesterday, yet they controlled the game from start to finish. Northern Iowa wasn’t supposed to match up with Kansas, in terms or size, athleticism, or even talent, yet they are the ones heading to the Sweet 16.

The Panthers won by controlling the tempo of the game, as they used their fantastic defense to throw off the Jayhawks game plan and slow down the game. Northern Iowa isn’t great in any one area, and they don’t have that one dominate player like most top Mid-Major teams do. And while they definitely have some veteran players, I wouldn’t call them a true veteran team. Five of their top 10 rotation, including two starters, are freshmen or sophomores. While they are a good shooting team, they don’t create a lot of offense, with just three players in double figures, and no player averaging more than 12 points a game. They win because of their harassing defense, that consistently forces bad shots and turnovers. Yesterday they imposed their will on Kansas, and forced 15 turnovers to their 9. The Panthers also forced the Jayhawks to shoot below their average and completely took their 3-point game away forcing them to go 6-23 from behind the arc.

It’s a bit surprising that Kansas wasn’t able to break down the Panthers defense or figure out what Northern Iowa was doing offensively. Not only is Kansas a deep and fairly experienced team, but they have always been a very smart and talented team as well. Either this year or next Kansas will be sending Collins, Taylor, Henry and Aldrich to the NBA, yet none of these guys were able to succeed against Northern Iowa. Kansas’ guards were completely harassed on the perimeter and couldn’t ever find an open look. And when the Jayhawks did go inside, the Panthers contested every shot. The Jayhawks two point guards were affected the most Sherron Collins and Tyshawn Taylor were not able to do anything, they went a combined 4-21 from the field (all by Collins) and 0-11 from behind the arc. By taking them out of the game, Northern Iowa made it a one dimensional offense for Kansas and they weren’t able to handle it.

Northern Iowa wasn’t intimidated and showed a lot of heart, especially as Kansas mounted a comeback in the final couple of minutes. Most underdogs would have broken down at that point, but the Panthers kept on coming, and did what no one thought they could do, send Kansas packing.

Syracuse dropping to the fourth number 1 seed, sent them packing out West, but in reality their first two games are in Buffalo making them pretty favorable. When they do head out West Syracuse will try to stay focused but the road ahead of them isn’t an easy one. In the lower part of their bracket Pittsburgh (who was one of the 3 teams to beat them) looms large. They were the first team to knock off Syracuse this season and did so at the Carrier Dome. If they survive to the Elite Eight Pitt is a dangerous team to play at a neutral site. The two biggest things to watch out for with Syracuse are their free throw shooting and turnover rate. Both of which are pretty low and could comeback to haunt them.

2 Kansas State: Most teams use a 7-9 man rotation in college basketball, and only go deeper to the bench in blowout situations or serve foul/injury trouble. Kansas State literally plays their entire squad. Of their 13 players, no one played in fewer than 19 games, and no one averaged less than 6 minutes a game. That is unheard of in basketball today. Also it’s not as though K-State was in some inferior conference that could rest their starters. They were runner up in the Big 12 conference arguably the 2nd toughest conference in the nation. Their deep bench should be a benefit for a long run in the tournament. They can be more aggressive without worrying about foul trouble the way some teams do, as well as give some of their starters rest to keep them fresh for the next game. Keeping fresh legs in the game, allows Kansas State to do what they do best, and that is run the floor. They like scoring in transition and before the defense gets set. In addition to their deep bench the Wildcats have an all upperclassman starting lineup. Their veteran leadership combined, with the young deep bench gives K-State a winning formula.

Kansas State should have no issue in round 1 against North Texas. The 2nd round presents a potential stumbling block against BYU, but the Wildcats depth should help them through. The Sweet 16 could get tricky for Kansas State if they face Pitt, as they don’t match up too well against the Panthers. While K-State can attack the rim some, they don’t control the paint. While they have more depth and experience than Pitt, they lack the defense to control the Panthers. If they do get by the Panthers, K-State’s lack of size will likely be their downfall at some point down the stretch.

Rest of the First round:

3 Pittsburgh over 14 Oakland: Pitt is notorious to play down to opponents sometimes, and are also an inexperienced team so the potential for an upset exists. That being said, they have too much talent and are too well coached to lose this game. The Panthers have the talent to win this region if they play their best basketball, they just need to remain focused.

13 Murray St. over 4 Vanderbilt: Vandy looked like a dangerous tournament team a month ago, as they were one of the top teams in the SEC, but they look like an early round upset here. Murray St. is a pretty veteran team, with quick guards that will give Vandy plenty of trouble.

12 UTEP over 5 Butler: UTEP is a very underrated team. They have great guard play as well as one of the better big men in the country right now in Derrick Caracter. In addition to Caracter they have additional size that allows them to control the paint, and should match up well against Butler’s big men. Even if Butler wins the battle of the bigs, they don’t really have the guards to match up with UTEP. The one weakness for UTEP is their bench which is not very deep. Foul trouble could be devastating for them.

6 Xavier over 11 Minnesota: Minnesota might have some fans because of what they did in the first couple rounds of the Big Ten tournament, but you need to remember they got beat by about 30 in the finals. Xavier is a pretty good team, that shouldn’t have much trouble with the Golden Gophers.

7 BYU over 10 Florida: Florida somehow squeaked into the tournament, but I wouldn’t count on them being there too long. BYU should have little problem getting past the Gators in Round 1. I think Florida is pretty overrated and doesn’t have the talent level to compete in this game.

9 Florida State over 8 Gonzaga: Gonzaga has been a tournament favorite for almost 10 years now, but I think they don’t make it out of the first round this year. This is a rebuilding year for them and I don’t think they can match up with FSU, particularly on the inside.

For Holliday and his agent Scott Boras, this was a big win for them. They got more years and money than not only this free agent class, but most of the free agents of the past few years (except for those signed by the Yankees). The Cardinals are a good fit for Holliday as well. They have been a consistent contender this past decade, including going to two World Series. While Colorado made a nice run a couple of years ago with Holliday (and last year with out him) they have more or less not been a contender during Holliday’s time there. I also think staying in the National league, in a relatively hitter friendly park, with Pujols with him in the line-up is the perfect fit for Holliday.

While Holliday is a great addition for the Cardinals is the short term and makes them a top contender was this the right move for St. Louis? I’d say yes and no. Holliday was the perfect bat to add to the lineup, but they did so at an incredible cost. I have no problem with the $17 million per year, but the 7 years seems a bit too long, especially for the National League. Right now Holliday is considered an above-average defender, but the last couple of years of this contract that might not be the case. As a left fielder now, there is no other place to ‘hide’ his declining defense but first base, and that’s not going to happen if they resign Albert Pujols (which is a no-brainer). The other issue is with the money, and will they have enough to extend Pujols, and give new contracts to their two ace pitchers, Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. While the Cardinals have been a top contender, they’ve never spent like the New York, Chicago, LA teams (or Boston as well). They will have to raise their payroll significantly, and over the long term if they want to keep all these players and field a winning team. Until that time though St. Louis fans should be happy and get ready for a deep playoff run next season.