The New Season

As long term readers of this blog will know (and as typing 'American Football' into the search box on the right hand side of this blog will reveal), I'm a big fan of American Football. [that doesn't mean I don't enjoy soccer - as Stadium MK is just a short walk away, and MK Dons are my local team - I enjoy going to watch them play in person].

Today will see the start of the 2013 season. The Thursday after Labor Day is the traditional starting day for the new season - after the pre-season games in August. The Ravens and the Broncos will set the new season off. Sadly, here in the UK, we have the problem of the time difference with the USA. It will actually be the early hours of Friday here. I will however watch the game - at a decent hour - because of my subscription to NFL's Game>Pass. Of course my loyalty is - you'd expect this in a blog called 'Washminster' - to the Washington Redskins.

Last season they played at FedEx field during my stay in Alexandria, and I enjoyed seeing them in person for the first time. I'll be cheering them on again in 2013 - starting on Tuesday morning. (the curse of the Monday Evening game!).

What do I like about the game? It's like chess with real people - without the need to stay silent! There can be some fantastic plays - as the ball goes flying over the heads of players until it is caught by a well placed attacker. At other times a nimble runner weaves his way around the seemingly impregnable wall of defenders. A quarterback can be getting ready to throw a potentially match winning throw when he is pounced upon - or the ball is intercepted as it flies through the air. It's a great game - it might take a little while for Brits to get used to, but it's worth it!.

There's a beginner's guide here.

The New Football Season

The 2012 American Football season kicks off today with Dallas Cowboys playing the New York Giants – as many readers of this blog will know (and the title might give a clue), I’m a Washington Redskins fan. Their first game is on Sunday in New Orleans.

I’m a subscriber to NFL’s Game Pass – so most Sunday evenings I’ll be watching like on my Desktop computer – or more likely these days – on my iPad. Should I be otherwise engaged (for example during the Sunday evening of the Labour Party Conference, I can watch later. Being the total nerd that I am, I will have my recently purchased “2012 Official NFL Record and Fact Book” at my side.

I also have on my iPhone and iPad the “NFL ’12” and “Official Redskins Feedr” Apps – and of course – as is my practice – I read the sports news in the Washington Post (also through an iPad App.

What is it that I find interesting about this game? It was the references to American Football in political speeches which first attracted my interest (Nixon and Reagan often made references!), but I enjoy the strategic aspects of the game – (hopefully) marching up the field using a series of carefully planned moves – each team trying to outsmart the other. In many ways so much like politics. I even keep my own “playbook” – plays that have been used in Parliament, and particularly Congress (where the scope for innovative procedural tactics is much greater) in order to advance or halt legislative progress.



Are you an American Football fan? Which team do you support? If you'd like to tell fellow readers of Washminster what attracts you to the game - or why you support a particular team - drop me a short piece on jdavidmorgan@washminster.com - which I can then repost here.

Bank Holiday Weekend

It's a Bank Holiday weekend in the UK (the last Bank Holiday) before Christmas Day! My mind is therefore turning from the upcoming return of the UK Parliament (back on 5th September); US Congress (6th September); French Parlement (Special Session on 6th & 7th September) and European Parliament (Committees return to Brussels on Monday!!!). Instead I'm thinking about the upcoming American Football season.

I'm a fan of Washington Redskins (which other team could WASHminster follow?). Their website is accessible here. I've already copied & pasted the roster into an excel file - so have lists of the players by Name; Number and Position. My copy of the Official NFL Record & Fact Book, 2011 arrived on Friday.



I'm looking forward to watching Redskins games using NFL Game Pass on my computer - further details here.

I won't be posting any more until Tuesday (unless a major story breaks over the weekend). By the Way (or should I write BTW?) the photograph is ironic - its not expected to be a very summery weekend (but at least it's better than in Washington!!!) - this was a photo taken during our recent holiday in Brittany.

NFL (American Football)

The new NFL season began last night for the Washington Redskins (or at a disgustingly early hour for their UK based fans). I hasten to add that I did not stay up to watch it. Because I check the Washington Post headlines at breakfast (an iPhone app), I knew of the good news about the result in the game against Dallas.

I will be watching the game this evening on my computer, thanks to NFL Gamepass. The Washington Redskins website (which has news, interviews & lots of short videos) is available here.

And to brighten you day up - listen to this

Washminster Takes A Break

Washminster is taking a short break - to catch up on some reading; listen to podcasts - and to prepare some series which Washminster will be running from late August through to Christmas. (I'll also listen to some jazz & watch the pre-season games involving Washington Redskins). I'll be staying in Milton Keynes during this break - so here are a few photos of Furzton where I live.

Washminster will return on 25th August.

Washington Sport

Quite a week for professional sport in Washington DC. Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton of the basketball team, the Washington Wizards are presently being investigated over alleged gun possession in the locker room late last month. (Washington Post on the story). This week Arenas was suspended without pay by the National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner David Stern. Action was taken after Arenas was photographed at Tuesday night's game in Philadelphia surrounded by his teammates, smiling and pointing his index fingers at them as if using guns.

Washington Redskins have also had a traumatic week. Not unexpectedly, Head Coach Jim Zorn was fired - and former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has been appointed. The Redkins website can be accessed here.

The new NFL Season

The new season has begun. For information on the Washington Redskins you can visit the Redskins website. There is also information available at NFL. If you, like me, are outside the USA, you can subscribe to Gamepass, which allows you to watch all games and some of the associated TV programmes online - and for a limited period afterwards. A great advantage when the time difference makes watching live a little awkward. (Having said that, I didn't intend to stay up to watch President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on Thursday morning - but woke up just as proceedings began - rather worrying that I have this inbuilt body clock atuned to Washington).

It's unlikely that I will be in Washington during the season - but I can watch the Coventry Jets in Britbowl - and look forward to doing so. It will be played at Doncaster’s Keepmoat Stadium on Sunday September 27th.

Washington Redskins

The US preseason games are now in full flow. As regular readers of this blog know there are three teams I follow - two in the UK [Coventry Jets & Milton Keynes City Pathfinders] - and the NFL team - Washington Redskins (who else could "WASHminster follow?].

The Redskins media guide - which has details of rosters; player biographies - and much more - is available at http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/2008_Media_Guide_16723.jsp

The Final Hours

Monday will be a frantic day - for all the volunteers across the USA - and for the candidates themselves. Obama will hold major rallies in Jacksonville, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; Manassas, Virginia (yes, I should be there!!!!); and finally in Chicago.

John McCain starts in Florida and makes his way to Arizona - via Tennessee, Indiana, New Mexico and Nevada.

Saturday Night Live has a two hour special (many thanks to the team for all the laughs I've had over the last few weeks!!!) at 9pm ET - http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/. The big Monday night football game is the Washington Redskins against the Pittsburgh Steelers http://www.redskins.com/gen/index.jsp (with fans concentrated in two key states - Virginia and Pennsylvania). It's ironic that, as a strong Redskins fan, the only time I've been in Washington when the Redskins play, is the day I'm otherwise engaged - next time perhaps?

The New Football Season

The new NFL season kicks off tonight - and the opening game involves the Washington Redskins. As long term readers of this blog will know, I am a fan of American Football in general, and the Washington Redskins in particular (but not forgetting the Coventry Cassidy Jets - the British American Football Team who have had another superb unbeaten season - and on Sunday play in the Premier semi-final for this years Britbowl at Barkers' Butts Rugby Club, Bob Coward Memorial Ground, Pickford Grange Lane, Coventry CV5 9AR - starting at 2.30pm).

The Redskins began their life in Boston (as the Boston 'Braves') in 1932, but moved to the capital in 1937. They have had three bases - Griffith Stadium (1937-60); RFK Stadium (1961-1996 - orginally known as the DC Stadium)) and the current FedEx Field.

Tonight's game is against the New York Giants - winners of this years Superbowl. More details can be found at http://www.redskins.com/gen/games/gameday.jsp

Live radio coverage can be listened to online at http://www.espn980.com/. The bad news for British listeners is that kickoff is at midnight! [7pm EDT]