Dizzam!

Just like that, Clinton Portis went from being a guy I'm mostly lukewarm about to suddenly being my favorite Redskins running back of all time.

In case you missed it, Clinton Portis just called up the John Thompson show on AM 980 for his weekly check-in and absolutely reamed Brian Mitchell for a good five minutes of high-decible fury. It was, perhaps, the greatest thing I've ever heard on the radio.

I little background: as I just finished breathlessly explaining to my wife, there are all kinds of ex-NFL players roaming the world, all kinds. Some are articulate, others not so much. Some are thoughtful, others macho. Some guys stopped caring about football, some guys went into coaching, some broadcasting, etc. In Washington, there seem to be three kinds of ex-Redskins: loud, macho, posturing windbags with too many opinions and too much ego (Brian Mitchell, Doc Walker, and John Riggins lead the charge); slightly confused, old school Redskins loyalists who, though endearing, offer very little to the discussion (Sonny Jergenson, God bless him); and then the quiet civilians, guys who slip quietly back into society and resume normal lives with dignity (Art Monk). Brian Mitchell isn't the worst of the first group, but he's one of them. He's probably the most articulate and analytical of them, but he still does the thing where he dismisses anybody on the team that hasn't had success in the most recent game as a useless piece of crap. This first group of ex-Redskins, for whatever reason, it's like they're threatened by current players on the current team, so they take every opportunity to compare (unfavorably) current Redskins teams with their Super Bowl winning teams of the past. It infuriates me, especially considering that most Redskins fans are so up these guys asses and are so beholden to the opinions of local radio shows and ESPN bloggers they've just become mouthpieces for idiot pundits. It really is ridiculous.

At any rate, apparently Brian Mitchell has said a negative thing or two about Clinton Portis over the years, questioning (at times) his commitment, his toughness, his attitude, his playing tempo, all kinds of things. See, Portis is a runningback, Mitchell was a runningback, obviously there's an ego thing there. Portis is generally a thick-skinned guy, but I guess he'd had enough. When I turned on my radio on my way home from work today, all I heard was an angry-as-hell Portis shouting through what sounded like a telephone connection. He was taking direct exception to some things Mitchell had said about him and was just letting the guy have it. It was awesome. At one point, he scolded Mitchell for being overly critical. A minute later, he was calling Mitchell out for walking right past him after the game in New York without saying a word, then showing up on a post-game show minutes later criticizing his effort and speculating on why his work ethic isn't strong and why he doesn't participate more in preseason games. When Mitchell tried to turn the tables, asking why Portis never came to him with all this anger, Portis fired back that he was mad enough that if he'd brought it to him face to face, he almost certainly would have punched him. No kidding, Clinton Portis got to the point of fighting words with Brian Mitchell on live radio this afternoon.

Here's the thing: John Thompson is a DC legend and his show is by far the best thing on local radio. It's his show. Brian Mitchell is a very, very popular former Redskins player who shows up in a number of local broadcast shows, including a game-day tv show and Thompson's daily radio show. He's not quite a DC legend, but he's definitely one of the 2 or 3 most popular ex-Redskins. On Thompson's show, Mitchell is the designated NFL insider. His function on the show is to bridge the gap between fan interest in the Redskins as the dominant sports topic in the area and Thompson's vast enthusiasm but limited knowledge of the sport. Brian Mitchell speaks with unchecked authority on NFL issues on John Thompson's radio show.

It occurs to me that maybe a trait of a great NFL team, versus just an OK NFL team, is a certain jealous pride over the quality of the team. Good teams work hard and play to win; great teams work hard, play to win, expect to win, and are insulted by the idea that another team might actually expect to beat them. The individuals on the team are expected to be monomaniacal about their responsibilities and individual match-ups, but the team as a group can get to the point of being actually angry, fired up and motivated by the very idea that the other team is even going to step on the field with them. I don't know, sometimes I've wondered if the Redskins have had that attitude, the killer instinct to not just compete hard but actually play to win the game.

I'm not saying Portis revealed that attitude in the Redskins by chewing out Brian Mitchell, but it's nice to know there's a guy on the Redskins (not just a guy, but a marquee player, a team leader) who won't sit back and take anybody questioning his ability, his work-ethic, his attitude, his commitment. He's proud enough of his work that he's willing to call a live radio broadcast hosted by a DC legend and a hugely popular ex-Redskin with a lot of clout among fans and openly call out the latter, challenging his manhood and threatening him with bodily harm. He believes in himself, his ability, and his commitment enough that it infuriates him to the point of beating someone up that another NFL person would dare challenge him. There are certainly other ways of looking at it: some might say Portis is too emotional, or too sensitive, or doesn't back up his talk with actual work, but it's all bull. In a sense, it was like Portis sticking up for the whole team: outsiders who dare belittle us or look past us do so at their own peril, in that they will have their ass kicked publicly. It's that edge I've been looking for in the Redskins for 3 years, that attitude, that swagger that says they won't go quietly or back down. Brian Mitchell can talk tough, and I generally have fond memories of the guy and warm feelings towards him, but I get giddy with excitement at the idea of Clinton Portis jacking him in the face for disrespecting him with macho baloney behind his back. Especially after a win: the characteristic that makes Portis the kind of guy that can get pissed to the point of violence after a great win is what will keep him from slipping or getting complacent. Portis didn't like the way he ran the ball in the first series on Sunday, he thought about it, huddled with his backfield mates, and decided he needed to take a step back from center and line up deeper, giving himself more time to approach the hole and find a seam. He articulated on the John Thompson show that he figures he's faster to the hole and has a more downhill style than the last successful back in Zorn's offense, Shaun Alexander. That means he needs more space to get to the line, both for timing in the offense and for his own natural tendency to look for a seam and hit it full speed. After the adjustment, he ripped off big carry after big carry and scored twice down the stretch. This tells me Portis is the kind of guy that doesn't get complacent, doesn't resign to a condition, doesn't slip or sulk. When something isn't working, he's thinking about it, evaluating it, suggesting things. When somebody says something negative about him, he doesn't sulk, he doesn't ignore it, he calls them up on their live radio show and gives them the business, to hell with their hometown pedigree.

I shouldn't make it sound like Clinton Portis called up to shout at Brian Mitchell. He started by mildly taking exception, then it escalated. In the end, after John Thompson scolded both guys and forbid them from holding any grudges, it ended peaceably, with Portis squashing it and saying he understands Mitchell has a job to do as an analyst, but asking that he not question Portis' commitment publicly when he's had an opportunity to at least get his perspective in the same room. The fact is, Brian Mitchell has limited access to the Redskins (as he admitted during the discussion), and he has this obnoxious habit of making grand statements about the motivation, work-ethic, comfort level, etc. of various coaches and players without ever citing a conversation he's had or a first-person observation he's made. He was due a reaming, and I'm just so glad it came from a guy as productive and credible as Portis, a guy who doesn't miss practice, doesn't miss games, puts up numbers, and does all the little things on the field.

And just like that, I love the guy. I hope his teammates cheer him wildly when he steps into the locker-room tomorrow.