I have always been an admirer of how football players adapt and make adjustments in how they play due to the elements. Man vs. Man vs. Nature. Can any one of us deny that games such as The Ice Bowl and others like it add purity to the game itself? I know that my favorite images of this game are men down on the line where their breath gives away the intensity of their emotions. So with this being said, who had the bright idea to dome the game? 

  I have always groaned at the notion of having to watch a game played in any dome. I think  that it robs so much from the players and the fans. Around the league there is a total of nine domes, two of them being retractable. Now I am sure that they were thought of by someone who thought more tickets could be sold if fans were not huddled up together freezing to death. Wrong! Give me an emotionally charged, close game and I will be nice and toasty! Ever since I can remember I have always enjoyed football from Peewee to High School, College and Pro Football more when the temp dips below forty degrees. A hot cup of coffee, or cocoa along with the smell of hot roasted peanuts all add to the atmosphere of the game.  

 As bad as domes are there is a worse danger lurking inside. That's right Artificial Turf can be a players worst nightmare. This freak of nature has been blamed for numerous injuries that could have been avoidable. I know for myself that "Turf Toe" sounds ridiculous, but is actually a painful injury that can sideline a player for up to three weeks or longer.   So why is this acceptable for a fourth of the stadiums in the league?

Only nine out of thirty-two teams play inside. I would think that teams who play in a Stadium as opposed to a Dome would have the advantage. Now sure you can bring up the Colts, but Payton Manning is the answer to your question. Do me a favor and think about this. . . out of all the domed teams, only Minnesota and Detroit can really say their winter weather is bad. On the other hand, winter months for teams like Green Bay, Buffalo, New England, Denver and Chicago are brutal and all played outside.  

In my opinion the only team that truly deserves a dome is the Cardinals, and man what a dome they have!  Not only do they have a retractable roof, but a retractable field allowing them to have real grass instead of turf. Dallas is also a team that allows the elements to affect their game, while letting their fans stay dry. Well at least until 2009 when their new stadium will open.  

 Look bottom line here is this. . . take a football, add some real men along with the unpredictability of the elements, mix them all together and you will achieve perfection!

You know the old adage, "Two Heads are Better than One?" Well, I think I can safely say two heads are nothing more than a headache in Washington. While the thought of a double threat at tailback is a novel one, in reality Portis and Betts have yet to truly compliment each other on the field. No where was this more obvious than in the final seconds of the fourth quarter in the Redskins-Giants game. In what should have been a touchdown to take the game into overtime, resulted instead into two ineffective carries by Betts, allowing the Giants to obtain their first win.  

After the game, a flurry of questions were aimed at Coach Gibbs. The two must significant being, "Why was Betts not taken out after his first ineffective carry?" and "Why had Portis, whose numbers are better, not been put on the field instead?"  According to Coach Gibbs, "The players are interchangeable."  I wish that it was that simple but, *SIGH*  I am not so sure Joe, I am just not so sure. . .

While it has been an unusually quiet bye week for the Redskins, one constant has remained, two tailbacks cannot be the answer, and though we have not heard this echoed by the Redskins, we will have an opportunity to see just what Ladell Betts can do all by himself this week against Detroit. It seems that tendinitis will sideline Portis once again, which should be interesting to see, being this was Betts quote when asked about sharing the position. . .  

"It is different," Betts said. "It's a little bit of an adjustment period. I probably didn't realize how much of an adjustment period it would be. The biggest difference for me is coming off the bench as opposed to getting all the carries like I did at the end of the season. I don't have the same type of rhythm that I did when you run a play over and over and you start to figure out what some body's doing. I'm coming in off the bench kind of cold sometimes, and it's a little bit different feel."  

Well Ladell my friend, it is time to put up, or shut up!  And while it kills me to say anything negative about the Redskins, I really think this is an issue that could make or break things for us. If Ladell goes out in this game against Detroit and puts up the same kind of impressive numbers that he did last season, I think we will see Clinton getting a lot more downtime. If not, I think,  we will see Clinton take up the lead instead. This should be an interesting game for the Redskins, having so much hanging in the balance.                                      
                                  

 You know we 'Skins fans happily dodged QB controversy this season, only to find instead that we have now landed in  "A Tale of Two Tailbacks!"

*Side Note* Clinton Portis has rushed 227 yards, for an average of  75.7 yards per game and 3 touchdowns for the 2007 season. Ladell Betts has rushed for 82 yards, for an average 27.3 per game and 0 TD's for the '07 season.

AS ALWAYS...HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!