Moving Day
Although the title is a golf term that refers to the third day of a four-day golf tournament, I thought it appropriate to describe the repercussions of Sunday's NFL games, especially with respect to the Washington Redskins.

DC is known to many as a transitory town, and I'm probably one of those people, moreso because the cost of real estate is just ridiculous that when I do get a place, it'll be somewhere in the burbs. (I rent a house in Georgetown for very cheap.) I've glacially made my way south over my lifetime, starting out in Western NY and a Bills fan, to the Philly area and gradually assuming the identity of an Eagles fan through several years there and at Penn State (although I never gave up my Bills allegiance). Finally, I headed one more step south about 10 years ago down to Foxhall Rd, where I've been since. Over that time, I've maintained my Eagles & Bills identities, while keeping a soft spot for the Steelers and Redskins based on family ties (NFL Sunday is complicated for me).

Recently, one of my acquaintances who used to live in Philly and has been a lifelong Eagles fan that he was making the transition over to being a Redskins fan after about 10 years of living down here. My first instinct was to yell, "Traitorous dog!" Although I have become more of an Eagles fan than a Bills over the last 10 years or so, I have family in both areas, and I haven't been up to Buffalo in quite some time, so it was a more gradual transition. Plus, the two teams were never in conflict with each other, safely in different conferences. However, going from Eagles to Skins is changing intradivisional allegiances. As I imagine Jaquandor would say about going from Bills to Patriots, this is blasphemous.

Therefore, though I've now logged more time down in DC than up in Philly, I just can't bring myself to root whole-heartedly for the Skins. I didn't grow up in the area, and it especially seems false in the face of my friends around here who have been Skins fans all their lives. That said, it was pleasing to see the Skins crush the Cowboys Sunday, because we do have a common enemy in those Dallas fans, and I am in the habit of rooting for my friends' teams (when their interests do not directly conflict with mine). And on the same day, while the ConsistiSkins made mince of Dallas, the stars aligned to put them back in the playoff race. Not only in the race, but now in control of their own destiny. Because of their conference and divisonal records, they own the 6th spot wildcard, jumping over Atlanta, Minnesota, and the aforementioned Cowboys who all lost this weekend. Now all (ha) they have to do is beat the Giants at home, and then for the grand finale, beat my Eagles at the Linc.

Now for a little confession. I can honestly say I wouldn't mind if the Redskins got in the playoffs. If they beat the Giants at home, I think they will have earned it, and although, I suppose, *hardcore* Eagles fans will want to play the spoiler, I'd rather keep the buzz up around the DC area and have a team to support. But next season we're going to reclaim our division.

And, for a final note of fun, apparently if you are a paid employee of a Dallas sports team, you shouldn't grab the PA microphone and cheer for the Redskins.