By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
Billy Kilmer once fought through cracks in an ankle and bruised ribs and a busted, bloody nose and, even today, doesn't think much of it. That's life in the NFL. And that's why the ink and angst spilled after quarterback Robert Griffin III remained in last week's wild card playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks despite a bum right knee surprised him.
From Drew Storen to RG3, the heartbreak of the last three months is the price for relevance. If these games didn't matter, the way they ended, on the field and in the examination room, wouldn't sting so much.
Washington's 28-18 victory over archrival Dallas on Sunday may herald an era of greatness with dynamic rookies Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris ("Just the tip of the iceberg for these Redskins," Web, Monday). But for longtime Redskins fans, it also brought a measure of closure for a devastating loss 33 years ago.
Feels good, doesn't it? Feels good to have the New York Giants coming to FedEx Field for a late-season game that actually matters. Feels good to think the home team might have the better quarterback, certainly the more dangerous one. It's been too long. Way too long.
Robert Griffin III's consistent play out of the gate in his rookie season has gained notice around the league, and the Redskins' quarterback Thursday was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Month for September.
Days after the Washington Redskins used the No. 2 pick in April's NFL Draft on Robert Griffin III, posters bearing his aw-shucks smile, braids and the word "hope" spun through the Internet.
It's hard to not find someone who has some advice for the new franchise QB in D.C.
As late-summer darkness blanketed Washington one night last month, the quarterback came to life. The familiar braids and right arm that hasn't unleashed a regular-season NFL pass towered 74 feet over Pennsylvania Avenue.
Nicki Minaj sings about "Starships," but is she a star-maker? The singer-rapper could be joining the ranks of "American Idol" judges.
If at some time during the past three weeks you turned on your television, logged onto the Internet or breathed oxygen, you probably saw Robert Griffin III endorsing a product. Perhaps it was Gatorade sports drink or Subway sandwiches or a new model of Adidas cleats.
Welcome to April, where March Madness spills over into the NFL's own form of insanity: the walk-up to the college draft.
When Hall of Fame tailback Tony Dorsett was getting slammed to the turf in the 1970s, or Super Bowl-winning QB Joe Theismann's leg was being gruesomely broken by Lawrence Taylor in the 1980s, it was just football.
The revelations were shocking and appalling to those outside the NFL: A team paid bounties to knock opponents out of the game, including some of football's biggest stars.
The revelations were shocking and appalling to those outside the NFL: A team paid bounties to knock opponents out of the game, including some of football's biggest stars.
From opening night until New Year's Day, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady dared defenses to stop them.
Joe Theismann whose NFL career ended with a horrific broken leg, said on Twitter, "Watching Duke/ Louisville my heart goes out to Kevin Ware."
