Robert Griffin III trademarking RGIII

Robert Griffin III is taking care of business off the field even though he hasn’t signed a contract or taken a snap in an NFL game yet.

Griffin created Thr3escompany, LLC after he declared for the NFL draft and filed for a trademark for “RGIII”.

Following his declaration for the NFL Draft, Griffin hired an attorney. Thereafter, he created his own company, Thr3escompany, LLC and submitted applications to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a total of four trademarks – RGIII, RG3, Robert Griffin III, and Unbelievably Believable. The first three trademark filings were made for “Shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, pants, shorts, footwear, hats, caps, athletic uniforms.”  


That was a smart move considering all the fake RGIII material that will be surfacing around the Washington, D.C. area and other NFL cities. There were fake Andrew Luck jerseys being sold before he was even drafted.

McNabb says that RG III won’t fit in Washington

Donovan McNabb still hasn’t found an NFL home. His time with the Washington Redskins ended up in a crash and burn scenario, that McNabb has yet to recover from. It also sounds like he has sour grapes from his experience with Mike Shanahan and the Redskins.

McNabb was asked whether Robert Griffin III would be able to excel with the Skins and McNabb sounded as if Shanahan ruined his career.

 Asked on ESPN First Take if Griffin is a good fit with the offense the Shanahans run in Washington, McNabb answered, “No.

“Here’s a guy coming out who’s very talented, mobile, strong arm, we’ve already heard he’s intelligent, football mind,” McNabb said of Griffin. “Are you going to cater the offense around his talent, and what he’s able to do, or are you going to bring the Houston offense with Matt Schaub over to him and have him kind of be embedded in that?”


What McNabb fails to realize is that his career was on the downside before he got to Washington. You think Andy Reid would’ve traded him if he knew McNabb could still be productive? Exactly. He is right in some regards about Shanahan in how he hasn’t won jack since John Elway rode off into the sunset.

“We talk so much about Mike Shanahan and the things he was able to do in Denver,” McNabb said. “Well, I have a couple of names for you that Mike Shanahan — quarterbacks he’s coached — and the lack of success that he’s had.”


“We had John Beck, who was 0-4,” McNabb said. “Rex Grossman: 6-11. Jay Cutler, who was his prize possession: 17-20. Jake Plummer, a guy who had success, led them to the AFC Championship against Pittsburgh, as we know, and then benched him the next year, because he wouldn’t do what he wanted him to do. Brian Griese, who was supposed to be the heir apparent to John Elway, hasn’t had a lot of success.”


“I don’t think it’s a good fit,” McNabb said. “If this doesn’t work this year, if we don’t see a splash like a Cam Newton splash, this could be it. . . . How long does he have with RG3? The seat is hot right now.”


“I was misused,” McNabb said. “Absolutely, I was misused.”


Somewhere the truth lies in the middle. Shanahan isn’t the genius many make him out to be and McNabb was pretty much toast by the time he got to Washington.

In a weird way it’ll be up to Robert Griffin III to prove that McNabb was right about Shanahan and his offense or that McNabb was just living off past glory and washed up.

To me, Shanahan never adjusted his scheme to fit McNabb’s talent and McNabb probably never read the playbook or bothered to learn the offense.

Theismann thinks the Redskins signing Manning is"horrific"

While the Indianapolis Colts decide whether or not to keep quarterback Peyton Manning, there are plenty of rumors as to where Manning will be playing next season.

The Washington Redskins are in that conversation and I’m pretty sure the idea of having Manning in a Redskins uniform excites the fan base. Count ex-Redskin quarterback as the one who’s not excited. Theismann thinks it would be a “horrific idea” to sign Manning. 

“It’s not a good idea, it’s not a bad idea — It’s a horrific idea,” he told 106.7 last week via DC SportsBog. ”It would be one of the poorest things that we could do as a franchise. Are we gonna go find another guy for just a couple of years again? Haven’t we done this before? Haven’t we seen this act before? And by the way, if you get Peyton Manning, don’t you have a concern about protecting him? Don’t you have a concern about who he throws the football to?”


“We’re tired of looking for stop gaps,” Theismann said. “It’s time to draft one of your own, or make a deal for a young one of your own, and nurture him, and then put the players around him. If we’re gonna be 5-11, if we’re gonna be 6-10, let’s do it with somebody who’s [learning as he goes], instead of guys that have been here, making mistakes.”


I understand where Theismann is coming from. Since Dan Snyder has taken over the Redskins, he’s acted as if he’s playing strat-o-matic baseball rather than amking smart decisions to improve his football team. So that’s where Theismann’s frustration kicks in. He actually makes sense instead of being the normal blowhard that he is.

On the other hand, it’s Peyton Manning. And anyone who can make Blair White and Pierre Garcon a threat might be able to work wonders with Santana Moss. While Manning might only be around for a few years, you take your quarterback of the future and let him sit behind Manning and learn the game. That way you don’t have a young “savior” setting the franchise back another five years if he screws it up. Also, Mike Shanahan might feel compelled to hand the offense to Manning.

If the Redskins sign Manning, it might be the smartest signing Snyder has ever made.      

Hillis On The Lions’ Radar?

There were a lot of drama surrounding Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis. After a breakout 2010 season, injuries and controversy limited Hillis to 10 games and his production took a dive. Long live the Madden curse.

Hillis will be a free agent and it’s looking like the Browns may be willing to let him hit the market. None of the decision makers in Cleveland sound too keen about bringing Hillis back next season. The prevailing thought in Cleveland is that Hillis will end up leaving Cleveland since his asking price is too high. Hillis wants $10 million in guaranteed money and the Browns only want to give him $4 million.

Where could Hillis wind up. No one really knows. ESPN.com blogger Jamison Hensley says that the Washington Redskins or Detroit Lions could kick the tires on Hillis.

It would be surprising to see the Browns invest a contract in Hillis after all of the dramatics during the season. If the Browns don’t re-sign him, it will be interesting to see what teams want him. The Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins could be potential suitors. 


Both teams have a need a running back, although the Lions could be strong at the position if any of their backs can stay healthy. Being a Lions fan I would rather see them invest money elsewhere. Namely on defense.

Donovan McNabb Isn’t Too Fond Of Twitter

I thought I was the only one that is anti-Twitter. I actually don’t mind it, it’s just that I really don’t care to hear about every detail of someone else’s life. I also feel that it gets athletes and entertainers in trouble. When they say something that’s on their mind they often speak before they speak.

Apparently current (at the moment) Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb thinks along the same lines as myself. I’m not trying to give myself or McNabb any credit, but I just find it strange that we have the same feelings about Twitter.

McNabb feels that athletes shouldn’t use it. In an interview on ESPN 1000’s Waddle & Silvy, McNabb let his feelings be known about athletes and Twitter.

“First of all I’m not a fan of Twitter,” McNabb said, via a transcript provided to PFT by ESPN 1000. “Nothing against their program or what they have, but as an athlete I think you need to get off of Twitter. All these social networks of you tweeting about you watching a game when you wanna be playing in it but you’re mad you’re not playing in it, so you’re gonna criticize someone that’s playing in it. I don’t believe that that’s the right deal. That’s not professional by any means and, you know, we’re all in a fraternity, so if you see a guy who’s struggling, this isn’t the time to jump on him or kick him while he’s down, you know, because that same guy will come against you and kinda blast your team out the water. So I think for an athlete to be Twittering is the wrong move, it’s one that [athletes should] leave to the fans and let them comment on certain things, but athletes need to get off Twitter.”

I agree with McNabb to a certain extent. Some of the Twittering actually is entertaining, like the tweets done by the Cincinnati Reds’ Brandon Phillips, Shaq, or Chad Ochocinco. But a lot of it is unnecessary, excessive, and makes them backtrack on a lot of things they said.    

    

Brandon Banks Injured In Late Night Stabbing

Washington Redskins return ace and recevier Brandon Banks was injured following a stabbing outside a Washington, D.C. nightclub early this morning according to reports.

They said the stabbing took place around 3a.m. at a club called ‘the Park’. No offense to anyone in D.C. but that doesn’t sound like a place that I’d like to be that late at night. Police said there ws an argument and a man attacked Banks and a friend he was with. The friend is in serious condition, while Banks was treated and released. The man that attacked them has been arrested and is in custody.

It’s a good thing Banks was relatively unharmed and that it didn’t turn into a Paul Pierce situation. I’m not going to sit here and preach, but these athletes need to learn that they’re not untouchable. Anyone can get to you if they try hard enough.