The first wave of steroid accusations came in the form of Jose Conseco's book, "Juiced." Congress held a hearing; Sammy Sosa forgot English, Conseco forgot what his own book was about, and Mark Mcgwier went from hero to shriveled man in a day. The only person who came out of the steroid hearings looking good was Raphael Palmeiro, period.
      Palmeiro simply deigned any use. He even verbalized his punctuation, he was that clear. "Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids, period. I don't know how to say it anymore clearly than that"
     Straightforward enough, I believed him, and a lot of other people with their willful ignorance did too. So it appeared, at the time, that the way to dodge the steroid accusation bullet was to firmly deny deny deny. Then Palmeiro tested positive for steroids the very next season…oops.
     Since then the prescription for tackling the steroid pointing fingers has been a mixed bag. Bond's just yelled at anybody who pointed out the fact that there were briefcase loads of evidence pointing that he juiced up. Some, like Mcgwier and then Palmeiro have gone into hiding, their names only to resurface when a hall of fame ballot comes up. And Sosa still doesn't remember English.
     The new wave of accusations that have come out this winter however are backed by major league baseball…and several stars have been indicated. Most notably Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite, Brian Roberts, and the retired David Justice. This has left these players in a tricky situation, knowing that with Palmeiro's test results the firm flat out denial no longer works.
     Roger Clemens has come out on the offensive. Letting anybody and everybody know that his accuser, Brian McNamee, was a troubled soul who would lie to get himself out of trouble. Yes, Clemens wanted us to feel bad for him. He covertly taped conversations, filed lawsuits, held two press conferences and even went on 60 minutes. So how does Clemens come off looking so bad? Isn't this what fans wanted? Hadn't we always told Bonds, 'well if they're lying…sue?'
        Maybe it's the effect of Bonds that has made the Andy Pettite's and the Brian Roberts come off looking the best in this whole ordeal. Oddly enough it seems that those who have admitted using steroids are looking better then those that deny it! Could it be that fans are just sick of being lied too? Are fans just sick of having their intelligence insulted by people like bonds who question our ability to say…read?
      It makes sense to me that it would turn out that way. The whole thought process behind using steroids in the first place is that, 'I'm above the law,' or, 'I'm more entitled then anyone else.' To me that's the part of the steroid era that bothers me the most.
But if the key to looking good coming out of the steroid era is to own up to it…what if in the off chance…Clemens didn't do steroids? What is he to do then? Let his legacy be tarnished? Or fight back in what looks like a non-genuine attempt to find what he wants us to believe is the truth?
     It appears then, that the lasting legacy of the steroid era, will not be that players cheated. It will not be the false hope given to young fans of the 90's like myself. It will be the loss of trust of the fans to even their favorite players. It's a catch-22, and unfortunately for some, it may be the best thing for baseball if we all just move on…

While the front office quarrels over who should be the next coach of the Redskins, a question with a very easy answer in Greg Williams, there is nothing we can do but sit and wait to see if Snyder has learned his lesson on head coaches. What we can do is look towards the future of the burgundy and gold.

            That future looks very bright. Aside from a 4 game losing streak mostly caused by Sean Taylor's injury then untimely death, the Skins went 9-3. Those three losses were to New England, Green Bay and the Giants; a pretty good collection of teams. All in all the Redskins ended up with the second hardest schedule and finished with the Wild Card even with all their adversity.

            The talent on this team clearly then is very good. Possibly only one or two smart moves from making a run at the superbowl good. So then the questions for the immediate future we can ask is who will the Skin's take with their 21st pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

            The two major weapons that the team needed this year were either a another defensive linemen to pressure the quarterback, or a big possession receiver to draw attention away from little guys Santana Moss and Antwan Randle El. At their spot in the draft they have the ability to fulfill either of those needs rather sufficiently.

            The ability to pressure the quarterback was far improved in 2007. The 2006 defense was one of the worst in the NFL and set a record for the least forced turnovers. This wasn't necessarily because of personnel, but injuries to the secondary and the inefficiency of Adam Archelleta. This caused a usually heavy blitz, heavy man coverage defense to fall back into zone. But with the improvement in the health of the secondary, the defense returned to form last season. However most of the pressure to the quarterback came from the blitzing linebackers as opposed to the aging defensive line. A good strong young defensive tackle or end could facilitate the work for all parties involved.

            There are a couple of options at this position for them:

 -Kentwan Balmer, UNC: At 6 foot 5 295 pounds he is a viable option for defensive tackle to clog up the run game and go after the quarterback. His size will demand attention from opposing teams offensive lines, helping the blitz get to the quarterback.

-Calais Campbell, Miami: Another member of ‘The U' to D.C? Campbell actually looks like one of the best fits for the Redskins. At 6 foot 8 280 pounds, Campbell is drawing comparisons to Mario Williams. He was recruited at a tight-end showing his agility and athleticism.

-Derrick Harvey, Florida: With good size at 6 foot 5 he also proves a double threat with great speed. Harvey will force double teams with his ability to get past the tackles, once again aiding the blitzing defense.

            Now to the issue of a possession receiver. It's true the Skins have a very talented receiver core as is, however the offense only moves down the field when it can come up with the big play to receivers like Santana Moss or Chris Cooley. What's missing is a large receiver or tight-end who can go over the middle to catch a five to ten yard pass or go up for a jump ball in the end zone. Not only would it add another much needed dimension to the somewhat what stewarded offense, it would force double coverage freeing up the speedy Moss and sneaky Cooley. In fact for this offense to work at its best it really needs a big possession receiver. Look at Saunders offense in Kansas City, the Skins need their Tony Gonzalez.

            Here are the options for big receivers:

-Malcolm Kelley, Oklahoma- 6 foot 4, 220 pounds, has solid speed and great hands.

-Limas Sweed, Texas-6 foot 5, 220 pounds, can play tight end or wide receiver. Coming off wrist surgery in 2007, but Sweed put up great numbers in both receptions and touchdowns his freshman and sophomore years.

-James Hardy, Indiana- Definitely has the size part down at 6 foot 7 220 pounds, and is progressing on his receiving ability. While Hardy may not have a huge impact immediately, with his size and speed his potential is tremendous.

          So who should the Redskins take with pick number 20 to try and make a move to the next level in the NFC? To me it comes down to two players, Sweed and Campbell. Campbell could help our offense go from good to great. His athleticism and ability would be a key addition and would help the defense do everything they already do, a little bit better. Sweed however would help an offense that is average go to an offense that is a step above. With Al Saunders offensive genius, and Jason Campbell's maturation,  Sweed may be the single addition this talented offense needs to help the Redskins compete even when the defense is having an off day.

Pick #21 for the Washington Redskins? Limas Sweed...

     While most of the Pete Carroll attention belongs to Arthur Blank and the Falcons, Skins fans cant help but think why not us? If the Pete Carroll era in Southern California should come to an end, why shouldn't his new era begin in the nation's capital?
       The Skins clearly have the most means to go after a coach like Carroll, and an owner with the will to get it done. If Dan Snyder puts his mind on something, we all know he usually gets what he wants. And why wouldn't they want Carroll? In his past NFL experiences he lead the Patriots to two playoff births and the team won the superbowl the very next year after he left.
       The Skins know that Carroll has the ability to organize, plan, and inspire a dynasty with the incredible success USC over the last several years. The Trojans are constantly competing for the national title and constantly have the most talented team in football. His infectious personality helped him recruit and leadership helped him bring the talent together. While he won't be recruiting in the NFL, there's no reason to think that a coach who coached the best young talent in the league wouldn't want to return to play under him when they become free agents.
        Imagine having a coach with an already good relationship with players like; Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, Lendale White, Lofa Tatupu, Reggie Bush, Troy Polamalu, Mike Williams, Dwayne Jarret, Sammy Knight, and Frostee Rucker.
        Truthfully there is no better time for Carroll to leave his self built dynasty either. While it's true that they have a great shot at winning the national title again next year, the cloud of Reggie Bush's scandal looms over usually sunny L.A. While it's no certainty, there is a possibility that USC could lose their national titles and be sanctioned by the NCAA, completely destroying the legacy Carroll put together. Not only would he possibly dodge the sanctions, he would be coming to a Redskins team that is ready to compete right away in the NFC.
        The real question however is will Pete Carroll have the will to leave the comfort of USC to the NFL that didn't treat him so kindly years ago. While in New England he won an AFC East title, and a wildcard birth in two of his three years, but he wasn't able to win over the fans. Why? He fallowed a legend, Bill Parcells. Patriots owner Robert Kraft himself said it wasn't Carroll's fault, he was subject to unfair pressure. Would fallowing Joe Gibbs in Washington be any different?
      For the Redskins it is not the most opportune moment as well. They already have two "Assistant Head-Coaches," one of whom, Greg Williams, has a contract that all but promises him the head coaching job when Gibbs leaves. It was part of Williams condition for not leaving for head coaching offers elsewhere, that if for some reason he gets passed over for the head coach position he will receive a huge bonus. If Carroll came to Washington he would almost definitely bring his own defensive scheme with him, edging successful Williams out.
     It seems that while it would almost be fairy tale to have Carroll build a dynasty in Washington, it doesn't seem like it's fairy tale that will come true. If Joe Gibbs taught us one thing about running a successful organization it is that it starts with people. People like Greg Williams who stuck with the team through think and thin. People like the defense who have a close connection with their leader. Gibbs also taught us that continuity will finally lead the burgundy and gold back to the promised land. And that's no fairy tale.

             While I'll admit Jessica Simpson's Daisy Dukes are distracting…in fact they're distracting me right now…Tony Romo is being treated completely unfair by the media throughout this whole ordeal.
               Honestly what is more distracting? Jessica Simpson in a bikini for a weekend in Mexico? Or the media constantly questioning you about it, the fans undermining you adding more pressure to perform personally and not as a team, and the eventual strain caused by it on your relationship with one of the most beautiful women in the world? The media is being far more of a distraction to Romo then anything else.
             Admittedly, it was very stupid for Romo to go on vacation during his bye week. While the week off is a time to rest your body and rejuvenate as a reward for being dominant in the regular season, it is also a gift to prepare and regain your focus. Running off to Mexico, even with several team members, takes his focus off the Cowboys goal and puts it on himself. And for a team that stumbled into the playoffs, Romo should have known better.
Had it not been for Terrel Owens hurt ankle, or Romo's busted thumb, this wouldn't even be a story. Yes Romo had one of the worst game's of his career when Jessica was in the stands, but those injuries had far more to do with it then anything Jessica's pink number 9 jersey could. The media recognized and ran with it? And why not? It combined Hollywood, sex, sports, and controversy. They created something out of nothing.
         To see an example of this we have to look no further then Tom Brady. He was spotted this very same weekend on a vacation clubbing it up in New York City with his girlfriend Giselle Bundchen. Why is Tom Brady not being attacked for "losing focus?" If anything his escapades with Giselle and Bridget Moyrnahan are far more interesting. However because Brady continued to win throughout (and has yet to lose), the story was kept in proportion.
The media and the fans need to leave Tony Romo alone. He made a small but stupid mistake, however the effects are trivial compared to the constant criticism. I hate the Cowboys as much as the next Redskin fan, but let them play football.
Come on Sportscenter, Come on sports websites, can we talk about sports now?