McNabb may miss Redskins opener

Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan announced that quarterback Donovan McNabb may miss the season opener against Dallas on September 12.

Shh, quiet. If you listen closely enough, you may be able to hear all of Washington D.C. groaning in unison.

McNabb injured his ankle in the second preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, and has been held out of practice and spotted in a walking boot for precautionary measures.

"I think it's a little bit too sore. ... I really don't know for sure. That's why it's day by day. We'll see how it goes," Shanahan told reporters on Sunday.

Hopefully Shanahan is just playing his cards close to the vest, and not a sign that McNabb is really banged up.

Many have been skeptical about the transaction, in effect drafting a 32-year old quarterback and forking over a second-round draft pick to your divisional rivals.

But if McNabb is able to come in and win immediately -- which appears to be Shanahan and Co.'s strategy -- the trade could certainly reap benefits immediately.

Still, I can't help but to envision a similar acquisition a few years back, when the Redskins traded their second- and sixth-round picks to Miami for Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor.

Taylor stuck around for a season, tallying career lows in games played, games started, tackles (both assisted and solo) and near-lows in sacks and forced fumbles. He re-signed with the Dolphins after that season; McNabb's contract is up after this year, and while it would appear unlikely he would return to Philadelphia, he could very well sign with Minnesota if and when Brett Favre hangs it up for good.

Anything short of an NFC Championship appearance would be a disappointment, if that scenario plays out.

Lil' Wayne's US Open picks

With an eight-month sentence in Rikers Island from a 2007 gun charge, rapper Lil' Wayne has nothing but time on his hands. It's been a productive time so far.

He's already recorded and released a new single called "Right Above It," and recently wrote back to Sports Illustrated, sharing some surprisingly insightful thoughts on the U.S. Open, which starts today.

His letter, included below -- and if it's too small, you can click on the image for the full size -- includes some pretty humorous items. And I say "surprisingly insightful" because Weezy's in jail. Who has time to stay up on the latest U.S. Open news at Rikers Island? And who would have pegged him as a tennis fan to begin with?

• "...Andre Agassi was like a pop star when I was a kid."
• "I simply adore Maria Sharapova and I'm a huge Nadal fan!"
• "And even while battling knee tendinitis, [Nadal]'s still ranked #1. His Wimbledon performance was one of a kind."
• "...the player that scares me the most is Andy Murray, who's beaten Nadal four times."
• "I'm giving the edge to [Kim] Clijsters in the women's singles due to Serena's right foot."

Maybe the best of all -- besides admitting that he "adores" Sharapova -- is his signoff: "Respectfully, Wayne".

To recap, he's got Nadal over Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, and Clijsters over Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic.

The Nadal prediction sort of crosses himself up. In a song titled "Sportscenter," he raps, "I'm servin' this track like, Steffi Graf, yeah, Roger Federer, there's no competitors." Then again, I guess "Federer" rhymes easier than "Nadal" does.

Either way, it's pretty impressive that a Grammy-winning rapper serving time in prison stays more up on his tennis than most of America.

Winnipeg mayor 'kicks' it up a notch

Winnipeg mayor Sam Katz looks like Chevy Chase's nerdy, less offensive little brother.

The exact type of guy you'd want to have play in a charity soccer tournament, for instance. Hell, there's no way that anybody who looks like that is going to take things too seriously, especially when he's running for re-election this fall.

Wrong!

Katz, in a moment of over-excitement, drilled a kid in the face, simultaneously providing his political opponent(s) with a ton of ammo. Don't vote for Sam Katz: He kicks kids in the face!

There's not much to say about this video. It's actually surprising that it was even caught on film. But it was. And in the day of foursquare, Twitter and YouTube, that's enough for a P.R. nightmare.

Still, It was an honest mistake, and at least he didn't accidentally kick the kid in the nuts.

And even if it costs him the election, it's freaking WINNIPEG. In three months, if you ask me who Sam Katz is, I'll probably mumble something about the gray-haired district attorney on Law & Order. Too abstract a reference? Probably.

He did supply us with an endless supply of soccer-related cliches, of which I will list the cheesiest, Tosh.0 style, for your lame joke-telling pleasure: he really got his foot in the door; we got off on the wrong foot; open mouth, insert foot; he shot himself in the foot; it was better than a kick in the teeth; and my personal favorite: he'll be as busy as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. Enjoy the video below (after the ad).

Furyk DQed for oversleeping

PGA Tour golfer Jim Furyk had a rough start to The Barclays at Ridgewood in Paramus, New Jersey on Wednesday.

The man with the world-famous unconventional swing overslept and missed his tee time, getting disqualified before his first shot at the pro-am tournament.

According to Furyk, his cell phone -- and therefore his alarm clock -- died overnight. He woke up at 7:23 a.m., but couldn't get to the tee in seven minutes.

"I don't know if something happened with the charger or what, but I never got it. I just tore out of there, threw a pair of pants on and a shirt -- still have no belt, no socks and my shoes are untied -- and actually got in the locker room at 7:35, but I guess I had to be on the tee," Furyk said.

It's a pretty big bummer for Furyk, who entered the event ranked No. 3 in the world rankings. According to the Associated Press, Furyk's absence in the pre-tournament pro-amateur event "left PGA Tour officials no choice but to make him ineligible for the first of four FedEx Cup playoff events."

The FedEx Cup awards a $10 million prize to the No. 1 golfer. Missing one of those four events may have just crippled Furyk's chances of winning it.

Fellow golfer Phil Mickelson loudly disagreed with the rule that disqualifies players, namely because only 54 of the 122 PGA Tour golfers were required to participate in the event, which pairs amateurs with some of the top names in the game. "The rule itself applies to only half the field. So if you're going to have a rule that does not apply to everybody, you cannot have it affect the competition. ... I cannot disagree with it more. I have no idea how the commissioner let this rule go through. It's ridiculous."

The whole story sounds a lot like Seinfeld's "The Hot Tub," when Jerry was watching marathoner Jean Paul and Kramer's hot tub shorts the electricity in the apartment building.

Maybe he should set this as his ringtone.

Long snappers left out of Madden '11

In the day and age of modern video games, you would expect a hardworking company like EA Sports to get everything right.

After all, its biggest seller, the Madden NFL series, regularly tops $6 and $7 million in yearly sales. Everything has to be perfect when the game hits the shelves in July.

Madden even thought to ramp up its in-game advertising, implementing a "swagger rating" in this year's version. Kind of sickening, sure. But they really cover all their bases.

Oh, except that every year, they leave long snappers off the rosters. And within the league, long snappers have taken notice.

Vikings long snapper Cullen Loeffler says that he doesn't even play the game anymore, "mainly for the reason I'm not in it. I feel disrespected."

Loeffler says he's not the only one, either. Only one long snapper appears in the game: New York Giants' Zak DeOssie, who's earned a 0 rating (out of 100) in the long snapping category. Whaaa?

"It's brought us [long snappers] together. We've kind of formed a band of brothers since we've been disrespected for so long," Loeffler said.

The rest of the Vikings team supported Loeffler, arguing that it wasn't fair that he was left out of the game when the rest of the league (sans snappers) was included:

"That's messed up. Madden's supposed to be for everyone in the league; it's not right to be missing a person. Handle that," said receiver Sidney Rice.

"Why the hell isn't he in there? For real, why not?" asked tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.

Kicker Ryan Longwell may have taken it even more personally than Loeffler, though: "I actually returned the game once I got home and found out, that's how much he means to me."

Kind of funny, considering EA's slogan is, "If it's in the game, it's in the game."

Israeli soccer player channels inner T.O.

Back in 2002, Terrell Owens scored a touchdown for the 49ers against the Seahawks on Monday Night Football, reached down into his sock and pulled out a Sharpie, then autographed the ball.

It was brilliant -- a game-changer, if you will -- and just one of many touchdown celebrations that earned attention from the national media. A year later, New Orleans Saints receiver Joe Horn pulled a cell phone out of the goal post padding and made a post-touchdown phone call.

Well, move over, T.O., you've got company.

In a 3-2 win over Austria's Red Bull Salzburg in a Champions League playoff game, Hapoel Tel Aviv's Itay Shechter came up with his own unique celebration: he pulled a yarmulke out of his sock, put it on his head and was immediately given a yellow card.

"I was not thinking about provoking anybody, I was only thinking about how happy all the Jewish people at home would be watching the game on TV," Shechter told The Jewish Chronicle, which may or may not be a legitimate publication.

It just occurred to me that the reason we've never seen a player don a yarmulke as part of a post-scoring celebration is because: (a) Nobody televises (or watches) the Maccabi games, and (b) There's only five or so good Jewish athletes in major sports.

This just makes you wonder if T.O. or Chad Ochocinco played soccer, how many yellow and red cards they would have received over the years due to their post-goal celebrations.

Check out the video below.

Oakland A's batboy is smooth

Being a batboy for a Major League Baseball team has fringe benefits. You hang out with the players, get autographs whenever you want, and get to feel like a D-list celebrity around town.

Until today, I had no idea that it could also land you a phone number.

That's where Oakland A's batboy Kevin Fennell comes in.

Fennell spotted a cute girl in the stands and waited to snag a foul ball to give it to her.

Then he did it again. And again. And once more.

All in all, Fennell gave Jacki Lynch five balls. For that, he earned some boos for playing favorites in the stands. Boo freakin' hoo.

"After the game, I gave out about 10 balls," he said.

MLB.com says that the last ball "came via messenger from the bullpen, reading, 'How about a phone number for our Ball Man, Kevin?'"

Now, that's smooth.

In case you're wondering, there appears to be a love connection. I'm no Perez Hilton, but MLB.com reports that the two are grabbing drinks this week.

That's weird. I thought Confucius said that man with four balls cannot walk. (I have been dying to write that since I found out about this story.)

Check out the video here.

Antonio Cromartie forgets his kids' names

New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie won't be running away with the Father of the Year Award anytime soon.

He's got seven kids by six women in five different states. He's been slapped with five paternity suits in the past two years. And a partridge in a pear tree.

If he wasn't starring for the Jets, he'd be spending his days taping episodes of Maury. "Antonio, you are the father."

He even owed so much in child support -- $25,000, or thereabouts -- that he asked the Jets for an advance on his $1.7 million contract this year.

Cromartie is keeping former Buffalo Bills running back Travis Henry's torch going. Henry fathered nine kids with nine different women, owed $170,000 per year in child support, went broke and is now locked up for attempting to traffic cocaine. Lifetime movie, anyone?

Anyway, back on topic, and to the point of today's entry. Watch the minute-long video below, where Cromartie struggles to remember the names and ages of each of his seven kids.

It's not an exam, Antonio. And even if it was, it would be an exam you should be able to ace. Enjoy the video, and enjoy your weekends, readers.

Muslim football team gets creative

When the going got tough, Fordson High got creative.

When Ramadan ran straight through summer practices and the early part of the regular season -- from mid-August to mid-September -- the predominantly Muslim high school in Dearborn, Michigan moved its practices to nighttime.

(Sidenote: Has the high school from Twilight considered this yet?)

With the majority of the team fasting and not allowed to drink water while the sun is up, two-a-day practices would have been dangerous, as players would have risked fainting and dehydration.

It was an idea that head coach Fouad Zaban must have had to get past some skeptical parents, but a necessary one for the Tractors, who are coming off a 9-1 season.

Fordson now practice from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., which, in all honesty, is probably an ideal schedule for the average teenager.

"It feels really great. If we're doing it during the day, we wouldn't have water and it would be really hot and everything," said Adnan Restum.

Even the non-Muslims are on board. Defensive tackle William Powell said that, at first, he thought Zaban was "out of his mind," but has warmed up to the idea.

The Ramadan calendar moves back 11 days each year, which means in 2011, it will go all through August. As high school football tends to ratchet up its schedule just before the season starts, it's a good thing the Tractors figured it out early.

Bryce Harper signs with Nationals

Bryce Harper -- the Washington Nationals' No. 1 pick in the 2010 MLB Draft -- sure made his new fan base sweat one out.

Harper, who is projected to play outfielder for the Nats, signed a contract "for $9.9 million over five years with a signing bonus of $6.25 million," according to The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore.

Once called "the most exciting prodigy since LeBron" by Sports Illustrated, Harper and super-agent Scott Boras took the Nationals right up to the midnight deadline to finalize the deal.

That's the second straight year that the Nats have had to chew their fingernails raw. Last year, pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg signed a contract at 11:59 p.m.

Not surprisingly, Strasburg was also a Boras client. Seeing a pattern here?

Harper, who I wrote about here, is not expected to reach the major leagues until 2012, when he would be 19 years old. That's still incredibly young for a prospect to reach the bigs -- it's the same age that Ken Griffey, Jr. and Alex Rodriguez were when they were called up, according to Kilgore.

As a 16-year old, Harper opted out of high school, earned his GED and enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada, a community college in Las Vegas, to become eligible for the 2010 MLB Draft.

At CSN, Harper didn't miss a beat. He batted .443 and hit 31 home runs, earning a segment on ESPN's E:60.

One of the most hyped prospects in baseball history, fans will undoubtedly follow his every move a la Strasburg. He'll likely sell out a few minor league ballparks along the way, and should be a household name in less than two years.

Not bad for a 17-year old kid who holds the record for longest home run at Tampa Bay's Tropicana Field.

This kid is way tougher than I am

As a kid at a baseball game, the only thing more exciting than catching a home run or foul ball is the possibility of being selected for a promotion.

Enter 11-year old Beecher Halladay, who the Los Angeles Angels' marketing team chose for a between-innings promotion called "Steal Third."

What's supposed to happen is that a kid runs from the outfield to third base, picks up the base and runs back, all in 30 seconds. If he does, he wins a prize.

Obvious sexual euphemisms about stealing third base aside, Halladay, overwhelmed with excitement, trips as soon as the promotion starts, lands awkwardly on his arm and breaks it. Don't worry, the video isn't particularly graphic.

What is disturbing, however, is that Halladay picks himself right back up and sprints to third base, where he's stopped and taken to the hospital before reaching home plate.

If that were me, you can bet I'd be doing my best Peter Griffin impression, rolling around on the ground, writhing in pain.

So here's to you, Beecher, for having more guts -- or maybe adrenaline -- in your tiny little arm than I have in my whole body.

FIFA considering rule change

There are a handful of aspects about soccer that hold it back from exploding in popularity in the United States.

Low scores and faking injury are two of the most common complaints among impatient American viewers. But those aren't likely to ever change.

One element that might change is the all-too-popular tie.

According to the Associated Press, "FIFA president Sepp Blatter says soccer's governing body will consider eliminating ties in all World Cup games."

With 14 of the World Cup's 48 games resulting in a draw, it's a move that would make games much more exciting.

Blatter said eliminating ties could either mean going straight to shootout after 90 minutes, or a sudden death overtime period.

FIFA used sudden death in the knockout rounds in 1998 and 2002, but abandoned it in 2006 and 2010, instead opting to play an entire 30-minute overtime period, even if one team scores.

After the overtime period, the game goes to a penalty kick shootout, a much more viable option for the typical ADHD fan.

To maintain the purity of the sport, FIFA is unlikely to ever implement too many major changes, like instant replay. Soccer will still have its share of low-scoring games, but you'd have to think fewer TV sets will be broken when viewers get frustrated from watching 120 minutes of soccer end in a scoreless tie.

How awful is the preseason?

Sitting on my couch last night, I faced the tough decision of what to watch before MTV's Jersey Shore came on at 10 p.m.

My options were dangerously thin. It came down to watching the Orioles and the Indians play a thrilling game between two teams with a combined 62 percent winning percentage, or tuning into the Ravens' first preseason game.

So starved for football that I find myself playing out fantasy football mock drafts in my head while stuck in traffic, I chose Option B.

I'm still not sure if that was the right decision.

It did become painfully obvious that preseason football is -- as always -- terribly boring. It's been six months since I last saw exciting football action. You'd think that America would scarf down any sliver of football right now.

I just can't bring myself to do it.

It is so boring watching Curtis Steele and Josh Vaughn eke out two or three yards at a time that I fell asleep twice just writing that sentence.

Good news, Baltimore fans. Your third-stringers are better than Carolina's third-stringers, and a 17-12 final score backs that up!

I know what you're thinking: "Come on, man! Doesn't it kill you not knowing who's going to win the team's backup longsnapper battle?!"

Yes. In fact, it keeps me up at night.

But come on, money-hungry NFL executives. Shorten the preseason and make it an 18-game regular season. You want the money, we want the relevant football. It makes so much sense that it probably won't ever happen.

The Orioles, if you're wondering, lost 4-1, in a game that appeared to have an excitement level sandwiched between That's So Raven and Book TV.

World Sauna Championship recap

Last Sunday's World Sauna Championships in Finland ended about as poorly as you would expect.

Vladimir Ladyzhensky and Timo Kaukonen, the event's two finalists, were both rushed to the hospital after suffering burns from six minutes in the 230 degree sauna.

The one who didn't die -- Kaukonen -- was crowned champion of the event. Seriously.

Apparently the Finnish are big into stupid contests. After all, what else does Finland have to keep them busy?

It's true, Finland is the home of the World Boot Throwing Championships, the World Wife-Carrying Championships and a sport called Swamp Soccer, all of which are exactly what you'd expect from their titles.

What's next, the World Hold-Your-Breath-Underwater Championships?

Even I can identify this as stupid, and I grew up watching Jackass. If I climbed into a 230 degree sauna, I'd wonder if I'm being featured as the main course for a bunch of cannibals.

In 2007, ESPN writer Rick Reilly competed in the event for a gimmicky book called "Sports from Hell". I hope the over-the-top Reilly called Kaukonen, who won that year's event -- and has won five total -- to see if he's doing OK.

Tebow's got a new hairdo

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is the latest victim of rookie hazing.

His veteran teammates gave him a stylish new 'do as part of a welcome to the team.

Tebow wasn't alone, though. Rookie receiver Eric Decker and linemen Zane Beadles and Eric Olsen were also given haircuts that make you wonder if they were done in the dark.

But for as much crap as he's given, you've got to hand it to Tebow for being a good sport about the whole thing. He's stuck looking like Friar Tuck, while fellow first rounder Dez Bryant wouldn't even carry his Dallas Cowboys teammate's shoulder pads.

Diva please. Shortly after that story broke, Bryant hurt his ankle and is now out four to six weeks, so there's karma for you.

Of course, the media did enjoy making fun of the situation. Sports humor blog Deadspin joked that when running backs Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter went down with minor injuries on the first day of training camp, it was "the result of divine intervention, we assume, on behalf of opening day starting running back Tim Tebow."

The new-look Orioles

Something funny is happening with the Orioles under new manager Buck Showalter.

The Birds are 6-1 in their last seven games, their best seven-game streak this year.

During that time, Baltimore has won three games on walk-offs, and have scored 5.17 runs per game.

If the Orioles kept that up all season, they would be one of the highest-scoring teams in the leagues. The Boston Red Sox score 5.07 runs per game this season, good for second in all of baseball.

Baltimore has also allowed just 3.43 runs per game during the streak, which would tie for the third-best defensive team with the St. Louis Cardinals over the course of the season.

Amazingly -- and dramatically -- half of their six wins are off walk-offs, like last night's 3-2 win over the White Sox when second baseman Brian Roberts hit the game-winning home run in the 10th inning.

The O's took three of four against the AL Central-leading White Sox. And it's an impressive leap from their otherwise 28th-ranked offense and 28th-ranked defense, which scores just 3.63 runs per game and allows 5.05 runs per game.

Of course, it's hard to get too excited, since this streak didn't occur in April, or in August -- if the Orioles weren't 31.5 games out of first place in the AL East.

In fact, the Orioles are still playing for a first: the No. 1 pick in the 2011 MLB Draft.

Getting excited about a seven-game snapshot in baseball is like getting excited because your basketball team hit a three-pointer in the first quarter. Over the course of a 162-game season, or several 162-game seasons, looking at seven games is minuscule and not a good judge of long-term success.

It does bring a bit of hope to Baltimore, a town that hasn't seen the playoffs since Cal Ripken, Jr. was starting at shortstop.

Showalter won the AL Manager of the Year Award with the Yankees in 1994 and the Rangers in 2004. Maybe he was just what the O's needed.

Tiger blows up at the Bridgestone

According to my rough calculations, you and I probably had less frustrating weekends than Tiger Woods. The soon-to-be-ousted No. 1 golfer in the world finished two spots ahead of where I would have finished in last weekend's WGC Bridgestone Invitational.

Woods finished the tournament 18-over par, the worst 72 holes at any PGA Tour event in his golf career -- amateur included. He shot over par every round, marking the first time he's done that in almost seven years.

It's somehow worse than it sounds. It's not the first time Woods has played this course. He's played in the tournament 11 times, winning it seven times and finishing in the top five the others. Yet this weekend, he tied for 78th place out of 80 golfers.

His first round, a 4-over 74, was his worst round of golf on the course. His third round was a stroke worse, a 5-over 75. And his final round was two strokes worse than that, a 7-over 77. He had never shot worse than a 72 in a single round at Bridgestone.

I'd ease up and admit that I'm beating a dead horse. Sure, he had a bad tournament. But this isn't Joe Schmoe. It's Tiger, the guy with 71 PGA Tour wins (third-best all time). Fourteen of those were major championships, second only to the legendary Jack Nicklaus.

It's the same Tiger who, after four rounds, was tied with Swedish golfer Michael Jonzon, who isn't even the Tiger Woods of Sweden. Jonzon's been a pro for 19 years and won eight events, most of which came from the European Tour, the Challenge Tour and the Swedish Mini-Tour, and I'm pretty sure the last one is held on a Putt-Putt course.

"He's just not the regular Tiger we're used to seeing. He's obviously had a lot of stuff going on, and he's dealing with that, and that's obviously more important than golf. Because I think golf is an easy thing to do once your personal life is straightened out. And I'm sure it's going to happen soon for him," said fellow golfer Anthony Kim, whose Bridgestone appearance was his first tournament in three months coming off thumb surgery.

If you're wondering, Kim finished ahead of Tiger, too.

The general consensus seems to be that Tiger's time as No. 1 is up, and that Phil Mickelson will soon take over the top spot. But it's silly to think that this rough patch is enough to bury a player as accomplished as Tiger.

Meet the incoming Terps: Berend Weijs

With players on last year's roster from Venezuela and South Korea, and an incoming duo from Iceland and the Netherlands, it's safe to say that the Terps are becoming an international embassy of basketball.

Maryland's latest addition, junior college center Berend Weijs, further adds to the melting pot that is the men's basketball roster. The Holland native spent the last two years playing ball for Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, right outside of Philly.

Weijs wasn't even on Maryland's radar. InsideMDSports.com's Seth Hoffman detailed his recruitment, which lasted about a week.

Weijs tagged along with Harcum teammate CJ Scott, a guard who was coming down from Philadelphia to play pick-up basketball at the Comcast Center, a typical summer activity. Kevin Durant, Juan Dixon, Byron Mouton, James Harden, Donte Greene, Bobby Maze, Ty Lawson, Nolan Smith and others have been spotted running pick-up with Maryland players already this summer.

As Hoffman writes, "At that point Weijs wasn’t expecting anything to come out of playing—just some experience. But he asserted himself against Maryland’s players, and they began talking. They told the Terps’ coaching staff, which is not allowed to be present for pickup games, that Weijs could play."

A week later, Weijs returned, earning even more praise for his prowess. He was invited down for an official visit in mid-May where coach Gary Williams offered him a scholarship, which he accepted on the spot. He signed a Letter of Intent that day, and became the sixth and final member of Maryland's 2010 recruiting class.

The Terps have a fairly steady line of junior college big men who have succeeded at the ACC level in the past decade. Ryan Randle added depth to the National Championship team, averaging 3.8 points and 3.1 rebounds as a junior before a stellar senior season with 12.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Jamar Smith followed the same career arc, and averaged 5.9 points and 3.9 rebounds as a junior for Maryland, breaking out as a senior with 13.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. In 2006, everyone's favorite afro Bambale "Boom" Osby stole fans' hearts with a charismatic personality. He averaged 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game as a junior, and 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as a senior.

So there's hope for Weijs, who averaged 6.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 blocks per game for Harcum, a loaded squad at one point ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA. He tallied 15 blocks in one game last season, and won't be relied on heavily for his offensive abilities.

Though a beanpole at 6-foot-10, 210 pounds, Weijs will be able to provide depth immediately in a fairly shallow frontcourt that returns Dino Gregory, Jordan Williams and James Padgett, as well as incoming big man Ashton Pankey, who missed all of last year with a stress fracture in his leg.

Weijs' upside could be a poor man's John Henson. Both are rail thin but still able to make an impact. As a freshman at UNC, Henson averaged 5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds this game, which is about what Maryland fans should reasonably expect out of Weijs off the bench this fall.

Ravens camp roundup v2.0

REED UNHAPPY

Much has been made of Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed's hip injury that sidelined him for four weeks in December of last season.

Since the season ended, Reed had surgery, talked about possibly retiring, said he might miss the season opener, and more recently estimated he's only 35 percent healthy.

"Honestly, I shouldn't even be playing this year," Reed told the press at training camp.

So it makes little sense that Reed is trying to renegotiate his contract right now, despite having three years left of his six-year deal.

Reed also mentioned that he felt he hasn't been treated well by the front office since his injury, noting that the Ravens refused to send him game film to review while he rehabs back to health.

We won't know more until he's practicing, but it's safe to say that Reed won't be participating in training camp and appears unlikely to play in the team's season opener against the New York Jets. In fact, two weeks ago he told reporters that he's leaning toward going on the Physically Unable to Perform list, which would sideline him for the first six weeks of the season.

RUN, FATBOY, RUN

Rookie defensive tackle Terrence "Cheeseburger" Cody passed his conditioning test after failing it twice. Down the road in Ashburn, Virginia, fellow defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth has still not passed his test for the Redskins.

THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS

Before their friendly against Inter Milan at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday, players for Manchester City showed up at Ravens training camp in Westminster, Maryland.

Both sets of football players hung out on the field and joked around. Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis juggled soccer balls while kicker Billy Cundiff helped out the futbol players by acting as the holder.

Man City midfielder Shaun Wright-Phillips (pictured) and his teammates attempted field goals after the Ravens finished up practice.

"I’d never kicked one with that type of football. We play rugby back home, so I guess that’s a lot like it. But we have a tee, not a holder, and the ball is a little different," said Man City's Ben Mee.

Redskins camp roundup v2.0

What's going on at Redskins training camp down in Ashburn, Virginia? Here's the latest.

KELLY INJURED ... AGAIN

Oft-injured wide receiver Malcolm Kelly injured his hamstring participating in quarterback Donovan McNabb's private "hell week" training.

The injury occurred before training camp began, and has sidelined Kelly ever since. For a guy considered one of the top candidates to start at wideout this upcoming season, missing a bunch of training camp and limping around on a sore hammy sure won't help.

As a junior at Oklahoma, Kelly injured his leg in the Fiesta Bowl and was unable to perform at the NFL Combine. After getting drafted in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft, he missed the first five games of his rookie season due to injuries and appeared in just five games all season. During the offseason, he had microfracture surgery.

After a more successful second year in which he appeared in every game, fans and coaches had high hopes that this would be Kelly's breakout year.

Kelly and fellow receiver Devin Thomas were two of three receivers the Redskins drafted in the second round of that draft, and neither has quite lived up to expectations.

Through two seasons, Thomas has amassed just 40 receptions for 445 yards and three touchdowns, while Kelly has 28 catches for 365 yards and no touchdowns.

For comparison's sake, other players drafted in the second round or later include Chicago's Earl Bennett, Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson, St. Louis' Donnie Avery, Denver's Eddie Royal, Green Bay's Jordy Nelson, New York Giants' Mario Manningham, Indianapolis' Pierre Garcon and Oakland's Chaz Schilens, all of whom have contributed to their respective teams since being drafted and should be re-signed when their rookie contracts expire.

The Washington Post reported that Kelly "is in danger of failing to make the opening 53-man roster," and, while that would be surprising, it wouldn't be jaw-droppingly shocking.

Sources close to the team dispel that rumor, though, stating that Kelly should see significant playing time this year and could start alongside Santana Moss.

WHO'S THE BACKUP QB TO BE?

We know that Donovan McNabb is slated to be the starting quarterback. Anything less would be shocking, especially after owner Daniel Snyder traded his left testicle to acquire the Eagles veteran.

Beyond McNabb, there's a bit of uncertainty. Head coach Mike Shanahan has already told reporters that he typically carries only two quarterbacks in the regular season, which means that Rex Grossman, Richard Bartel and John Beck are competing for the lone roster spot.

As of Monday, Colt Brennan was on the roster; Beck wasn't. But the Redskins traded cornerback Doug Dutch to Baltimore for Beck, and Brennan saw the writing on the wall. He was released later that day.

"I was totally surprised. I actually was walking off the field today and someone asked, 'How'd you do today?' I said I had a good day. It was a good practice, so I said I'd have a good rest of the day. It was definitely a surprise," Brennan told the Washington Post.

Brennan never appeared in a regular season game, but became popular with fans after an impressive performance in the preseason against the Colts. Brennan finished 9-for-10 for 123 yards and two touchdowns, and fans begged for him every time former starter Jason Campbell struggled.

Despite the trade, Grossman, not Beck, appears the favorite to win the second spot on the depth chart. He's familiar with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's offense, despite Shanahan insisting there's a competition.

Ravens camp roundup v1.0

One week into the Baltimore Ravens' training camp, and there are plenty of storylines to keep fans on the edge of their seats for the upcoming season.

INJURIES APLENTY

Two days before camp even started, rookie linebacker Sergio Kindle fell down two flights of stairs, fracturing his skull. He's been ruled out for all of training camp and still hasn't signed a contract yet.

According to Baltimore Sun reporter Jamison Hensley's Twitter feed, "[Head coach John] Harbaugh didn't rule out Kindle for the season opener but said he would have a lot of catching up to do."

Other players who have missed part or all of training camp rehabbing injuries include: safety Ed Reed (hip), tight end Todd Heap (tonsils), offensive linemen Jared Gaither (cramps), Matt Birk (minor elbow surgery) and Oniel Cousins (throat surgery), cornerbacks Domonique Foxworth (torn ACL), Fabian Washington (knee), Lardarius Webb (knee), Walt Harris (achilles), linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo (leg) and running back Matt Lawrence (knee).

There's plenty of big names on that list, but everyone except Reed and Foxworth should be healed up by the start of the season.

Foxworth is done for the year after tearing his ACL at camp. It's a hit to an already thin corps of cornerbacks, and the Ravens would seem poised to bring in another cornerback to add to the depth.

QUARTERBACK SHUFFLE?

Two weeks ago, the Ravens signed free agent quarterback Marc Bulger, the longtime starter in St. Louis. Bulger appeared in 96 games with the Rams, but his production dipped after a career season in 2006.

He seems happy to be serving as starter Joe Flacco's mentor, and signed a one-year deal worth $3.8 million. Bulger's signing put backups Troy Smith and John Beck on the fence, and on Monday, the Ravens traded Beck to the Redskins for cornerback Doug Dutch. Smith seems safe for now, though he may request a trade to earn more playing time this year.

There have been rumors that the Ravens were looking to deal Smith to Philadelphia if the Eagles decide not to bring back Michael Vick. Smith told Pro Football Weekly that he had heard about the possible trade, and that he was happy with the Ravens, but "I would definitely be a little bit more happy if I was playing."

Redskins camp roundup v1.0

Well we're a week removed from most NFL training camps, including two in the D.C.-Baltimore area. Here are some of the big storylines through the first week of Redskins training camp down in Ashburn, Virginia. More to come later this week.

HAYNESWORTHLESS?

By now, you've heard that Washington's $100 million man and resident diva Albert Haynesworth was unable to pass the team's somewhat rigorous conditioning test.

Had he participated in some of the offseason conditioning with the rest of the team, Haynesworth wouldn't have even been required to take the test.

On Thursday, he completed the first half of the two 300-yard shuttle runs separated by three and a half minutes of rest, but excused himself to go to the bathroom during the break.

On Friday, he failed the first part of the test by a second, and sat out Saturday and Sunday's practice with knee inflammation.

Haynesworth, nicknamed "Fat Albert" by some fans, has dropped more than 35 pounds in the offseason, according to sources close to the team. He sat out the test for a third straight day today but hopes to pass the test this week and join the team in practices.

TRENT WILLIAMS SIGNS

The Redskins and rookie offensive lineman Trent Williams, the No. 4 pick in April's draft, came to a contractual agreement this past week, and Williams was on the field quickly after that.

Williams signed a six-year, $60 million deal, with approximately $37 million in guaranteed money.

That's a bit of good news for Washington, which was criticized by fans for not drafting Oklahoma State offensive tackle Russell Okung. Okung went to Seattle with the No. 6 pick, and, according to Pro Football Talk, "Okung and the Seahawks are 'not even close' on a deal." At least Williams will be able to maximize his time in camp with the rest of the team, hopefully becoming comfortable in his role as starting left tackle.

After the draft, the Washington Post spoke to University of Oklahoma Director of Sports Enhancement Jeremy Schmidt, who worked intimately at the school with Williams. At the time, Schmidt expressed concerns in Williams' work ethic: "He's one of those guys, he's definitely not a gym rat. If he was, there wouldn't be anybody even close to him. If he really committed himself, it wouldn't even be close. He'd be the best ever. That's how much talent he's got. There's a lot of talent there that he just hasn't tapped."