It’s Redskins-Cowboys for the NFC East title, which should make the earth shake. But apparently the children at the NFL network recently, in compiling its list of greatest NFL rivalries, somehow forgot to mention Redskins-Cowboys.

Here’s what legendary Hall of Fame Redskins receiver Charlie Taylor said about the rivalry – “The Redskins-Cowboys rivalry was down to the bone, down to the marrow.”

Taylor was from Texas, and said in part one of the reasons for the rivalry was the Redskins had so many Texans on their roster, and got tired of hearing about the Cowboys back home.

Taylor was talking about the rivalry in the 1960s, before George Allen arrived in 1971 and raised it to a new level.

It started in a feud between owners George Preston Marshall and Clint Murchison, and grew because of players like Taylor, Ken Houston, Diron Talbert, John Riggins, Dexter Manley, Santana Moss and so many others who delivered memorable moments that fueled the rivalry.

Sunday night at FedEx Field, it’s a chance for another Texan – Robert Griffin III – to deliver his moments in that rivalry.

The past and futures of the Washington Redskins and their opponent today, the Cleveland Browns, are closely tied together by deals that were made and could have been made
In 1961, Redskins owner George Preston Marshall made the historic move to draft Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis and then trade him to the Browns for Bobby Mitchell.
It was a trade that changed the future of both organizations -- particularly the Browns. As the story has been told numerous times, Davis never played for Cleveland, diagnosed with leukemia and gone with .......of being traded. The Browns saw Ernie Davis as part of perhaps the most powerful one-two backfield punch in football history.
Cleveland went on to win an NFL title several years later, but with Brown and Davis, they envisioned a dynasty that might have trumped the Green Bay Packers.
While the Redskins never would enjoy championship glory with Mitchell, he became a franchise icon and one of the most productive players in Redskins history.
During this past off season, the Browns had the chance to trade for another Heisman Trophy winner. But they were beaten out by Mike Shanahan and the Washington Redskins.
Robert Griffin III could have changed football in Cleveland. Instead, he is in Washington, becomign a franchise icon and one of the most productive players in Redskins history -- and perhaps leading the franchise to championship glory.
  

 

Finally, Washington may have a captain who is up to the task

Robert Griffin III – the product of a military family – has been given the rank of captain by the Washington Redskins.

He’s a rookie, which is sort of like an enlisted man running an Army unit, but it speaks to two things – the great leadership skills of this young man and the void of leadership within the Redskins locker room.

Selecting captains hasn’t worked very well for sports teams in this town, and you would think in Washington -- with the Pentagon and all the surrounding military installations and personnel -- the sports teams would be better at it.

Last year there was Andray Blatche, the Wizards former big man and basketball wasteland who declared at the home opener at Verizon Center that he was the captain of the Wizards:

Last year’s Redskins team captains included Santana Moss, who took off his helmet on the field to argue a call and cost his team an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in a 34-10 loss to the Eagles. And there was Trent Williams, who was on shore leave for the final four games of last season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

This is the Joseph Hazelwood Exxon Valdez school of captaincy.

RG3, though, seems like a perfect fit for Redskins captain. In fact, can we just make him captain of Washington, D.C., period?

It should be Redskins general manager Bruce Allen vs. Giants GM Jerry Reese, mano a mano, at the 50 yard line.

It should be Washington owner Daniel Snyder vs. New York owner John Mara in a Pennsylvania Dutch death match.

Capologists vs. capologists

This is the Salary Cap Bowl.

It may not resonate in the locker rooms, but the bad blood between the Redskins and the Giants front office must be boiling. Remember, it was Giants owner John Mara who led the charge against Washington and the two-year, $36 million salary cap penalty the Redskins were handed by the league for failing to go along with the owners little conspiracy in the uncapped 2010 season.

It was Mara who said the Redskins "got off lucky" for failing to play along with the other owners scheme against the players union, and suggested they should have lost draft picks as well.

So you better believe today, if RG 3 runs through that Giants defense and leads the Redskins to victory, the win will taste a little sweeter for Bruce Allen and every other pencil pusher at Redskins Park

As  we enter into the final home stand of 2012 Washington Nationals championship season – a home stand dubbed  the “Teddy in 2012” series  -- lost  in the laughs and groans about Teddy Roosevelt always losing the President’s Race at Nationals Park is Roosevelt was one tough guy – the least of the four presidents to suffer the ignomy of being a laughing-stock loser.

    He would be appalled at this Nationals Park entertainment, and would likely seek someone out to deliver a right cross or a left uppercut to stop the nonsense.

    If he didn’t , Mike Donovan would.

    Mike Donovan was the grandfather of Baltimore Colts Hall of Fame tackle and personality Art Donovan. He was one of the most legendary bare knuckles fighters of the late 19^th century, a middleweight champion who also stepped in the ring against the great John L. Sullivan and trained  Jake Kilrain in his legendary 75-round battle against Sullivan.

    He also became Teddy Roosevelt’s boxing trainer and sparring partner, from the Governor’s mansion in Albany to the White House.

    Donovan was the boxing instructor of the New York Athletic Club when he first met Roosevelt, who was New York police commissioner. Roosevelt was a boxing fan, and his thirst for physical tests were well documented. So when Roosevelt was elected governor of New York, he invited Donovan to the Governor’s mansion for the first of what would be many sparring sessions.

   Donovan talked in his biography about the first time he and the future president sparred in Albany.

   Roosevelt entered the room wearing a sleeveless flannel shirt, his khaki Rough-rider uniform pants and light canvas shoes. Donovan was impressed by the physical presence of Roosevelt . He stood about 5-foot-8 but seemed much bigger.
   The men put on their boxing gloves and stepped onto the mat, where Professor Donovan was about to conduct class.
   The governor was hardly a beginning student, though. He was well-known for his boxing workouts, but now was stepping in with the man who had gained a well-earned reputation as one of the smartest and toughest fighters to ever put on the gloves. Donovan started off with a soft left jab, followed by a right hand to the cheek that qualified as the proverbial love tap.
   Roosevelt dropped his hands and stopped fighting. He wasn't happy.
   "Look here Mike, that is not fair," Roosevelt said.
   "What's the matter, Governor?" Donovan asked.
   "You are not hitting me," Roosevelt said. "I'd like you to hit out."
   "All right, Governor," Donovan said, thinking that Roosevelt had a pretty high opinion of himself if he thought he could take the best Mike Donovan had to offer.
   This time, Donovan struck Roosevelt with a hard right to the body and then tried to land a swinging left to the jaw. Roosevelt stepped inside and delivered a right hand to the side of Donovan's head.
    It stopped Donovan in his tracks.

    Donovan had been invited to Washington as a guest of Roosevelt for his March 4, 1904, presidential inauguration. You might think that the night before, Roosevelt would be preparing for the big day, fine-tuning his speech, getting the proper rest, reflecting on the enormity of the day he faced.
    Instead, he spared 10 hard rounds with Donovan. There would be time after the ceremony for reflection.
    "After the inauguration tomorrow, I go out to the Rockies on a hunt for four or five weeks and live the simple life," Roosevelt told Donovan before they began sparring. "Mike, we must have a good, long bout this evening. It will brighten me up tomorrow, which will be a trying day.
   After the workouts he had that winter with Donovan, Roosevelt had turned into a formidable opponent. On this particular night, Donovan was ready to call it by the fifth round, but Roosevelt showed no such inclination. They were trading heavy blows when Roosevelt landed a right hand to Donovan's head that sent him sprawling to the mat. Donovan got to his feet, and Roosevelt said, "Mike, that's a good make-believe knockdown," not realizing he had indeed hurt Donovan.
   "Mr President," Donovan said, "I would not ever let you knock me down if I could help it."

     In another trip to Washington for a sparring session, Donovan arrived at the White House and met Roosevelt in the Library.
     "Hello, Mike, delighted to see you," Roosevelt said, as he rose and gave Donovan a playful shot to the shoulder. Roosevelt then had the desk and furniture moved off to the side, and the two men put on their boxing gear to have a sparring session in the Library.
    While they were in the middle of their session, a delegation of officials from Texas were brought into the room. Roosevelt and Donovan, still wearing boxing gloves, shook hands with the politicians.
    "Gentleman, please give us room and wait against the wall until we are done," Roosevelt told them. So they lined up against the wall of the Library and watched as Roosevelt and Donovan continued to pound away on each other.
    Another group was brought into the room -- this one a group of Methodist ministers. Donovan stopped fighting, figuring surely now that their sparring session was finished.
   "Show them in," Roosevelt said, and again Roosevelt and Donovan were introduced to the group, shaking hands with their boxing gloves still on.
    "Now, gentlemen, if you will line up on this opposite wall, we will give you an exhibition of the manly arts," Roosevelt said. And so they picked up the fight again.
    The two men went their separate ways after Roosevelt left the White House in 1909. Ten years later, Roosevelt died of a heart attack. Donovan continued as boxing instructor at the New York Athletic Club until he retired in 1914.  He passed away four years later. 

 But if Mike Donovan were alive today, he wouldn’t tolerate Teddy Roosevelt being anyone’s punch line.

Last week I wrote about Robert Griffin III. This week, I'm writing about Robert Griffin III. And probably next week you'll hear me talk about Robert Griffin III.

Like the Redskins, I'm putting the game in this kid's hands.

Why? Because he's the only one I've seen in a Redskins uniform in the past 20 years who seems capable of taking that weight -- of taking over the game, week and week out.

If that's too squeamish for some of you, well, as my colleague on "The Sports Fix" Kevin Sheehan would say, maybe you ought to go antiquing on Sundays.

There has been a lot of angst over the fact that RG seems to throw the ball and run the ball and do everything with the ball on offense that puts him in danger. Their idea of the option is to maybe put Rex Grossman in the game so RG 3 doesn't get hurt.

Is a steady diet of vulnerability a good thing? No, but every look that RG3 and the Redskins give an opposing defense right now is something opponents will have to fear and prepare for. And that fear will lead to RG3 being in better protected situations as the season goes on.

Or maybe not. He doesn't seem to worried about it.

"One thing I won’t do personally is quit or play scared," he said after the loss to Cincinnati last Sunday. "I’ve never played scared in my life so it doesn’t matter how many times I get hit. I’m going to continue to get back up. Even if they have to cart me off the field, I’m going to get off that cart and walk away.”

He's not scared, so why should you be?