ABCDE SPORTS thursday, september 9, 2010 COLLEGEFOOTBALL
Hokies try to move on Virginia Tech faces a quick turnaround from Monday’s difficult loss to Boise State. D7
Mids keep goals in mind Recalling last season’s rebound from a narrow opening defeat, Navy’s players say they won’t stew over loss to Maryland. D6
McNabb, Williams ready for close-ups
Quarterback’s health and tackle’s matchup against
Ware are keys to Dallas game BY RICKMAESE
Back in April, the rookie lineman and
the veteran quarterback both needed directions just to find their way around Redskins Park. Trent Williams was in awe simply spotting Donovan McNabb across the locker room. “That only lasted a week or two,” the
rookie left tackle said. And only five months after first rolling
into town, McNabb is just a few days away from starting his first regular sea- son game wearing Redskins’ colors. But, he says, “I feel like I’ve been here.” On Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys, McNabb and Williams will wear burgundy and gold for the first time in a game that counts, their respective spots in the starting lineup among the most anticipated offensive debuts the Redskins have seen in recent years. As high as expectations might seem — Mc- Nabb is a six-time Pro Bowler and Wil- liams was the fourth overall pick in April’s NFL draft — there’s a bit of uncertainty hanging over both players as the season begins. McNabbwassidelined for the final two
weeks of the preseason after suffering an ankle sprain against Baltimore on Aug. 21. McNabb is back taking snaps with the starters in practice this week. “He’s ready to go,”CoachMike Shanah-
redskins continued on D8 Redskins vs. Cowboys
When: Sunday, 8:20 p.m. Where: FedEx Field TV: WRC-4,WBAL-11
BLOGS,MULTIMEDIAANDCHATS
washingtonpost.com/sports First Things First Today, 9:30 a.m. Tracee Hamilton chats about the sports world’s hottest topics. Ask Boswell Today, 11 a.m. Thomas Boswell takes your questions on the Nationals and more. Post Pro Picks Enter our free NFL pick ’em game for a chance to win prizes.
TENNIS
Nadal serves ’em up Rafael Nadal has reworked his game for the U.S. Open, and so far it has paid off. D3
Albert will be with us this week. For sure.” Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan, addressing reports that Washington is in talks with the Tennessee Titans to trade defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth. D8
D EZ SU
GOOD TIMES ROLL ON O
Once considered
the laughingstock of the NFL, the New Orleans Saints and
THOMAS BOSWELL
Defense over slugging? For the Nationals, it’s a Dunn deal
classic questionof baseball theory:Do the synergies a 40-homer cleanup hitter brings to a lineup outweigh the damage done to a defense by a below-average first basemanwith little range? TheNats have decided.Not formally.
A
Not finally.But for practical purposes, with 22 games left inthe season, time has made the decisionfor everyone. Ina gluttedmarket for free agent first
basementhiswinter, led by PaulKonerko andDunn, theNats canassume a former GoldGlove first basemancoming off a poor yearwill probably be available for less thanDunn’s current two-year, $20 milliondeal—a player such asCarlos Pena orDerrekLee. So theNats canavoid getting locked
into the kind of four-year, $55million dealDunnmight get elsewhere this winter.Theywon’t evenbe obligated for the $40millionover three years that Dunnmight still bewilling to signfor this veryminute.Money alwaysmatters. However, themainreasontheNats
haven’t offeredDunnevena three-year deal is grounded intheir currentTheory ofBaseball. WhentheNats look at their lineup of
boswell continued on D5
l Ramos’s first career HR not enough as Nats lose. D5
Indo-Pak Express zips into a U.S. Open final
Bopanna, Qureshi give India, Pakistan
cause to cheer together BY LIZ CLARKE
flushing meadows, n.y. — Some of the world’s best tennis players sailed through maddening wind Wednesday at the U.S. Open, including No. 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki, 2008 Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic and top Russian Vera Zvonareva. But no victors weremore elated than
Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, who not only reached the
doubles final of a Grand Slamevent for the first time but were cheered on by their countries’ United Nations ambas- sadors. The display of unity and common
purposemeant asmuchtoBopanna and Qureshi, natives of India and Pakistan who bill their on-court partnership as the Indo-Pak Express, as any winner’s check or silver-plated trophy. “To see the two countries’ ambassa-
dors to the United Nations sitting to- gether, clapping for the same cause and wanting us to win, it was a beautiful thing to see,” said Qureshi, after he and Bopanna defeated Argentines Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zeballos, 7-6
u.s. open continued on D3
damDunnis done inWashington. All season, theNationals have had aninternal debate over a
their fans are adjusting to how the team is being perceived since it won the Super Bowl.
BYMARKMASKE neworleans
na steamy, sunnyTuesdaymorning,workersbehindabarricade that blocked off a side streetwere busy setting up equipment in a festival areaalongsidetheSuperdomecalled“ChampionsSquare.”¶Asignin a nearby shop window read, “Thank you boys!” from the “Who Dat Nation.”Acelebratory billboard image ofNewOrleans SaintsCoach
Sean Payton towered above the corner of Poydras Street and Loyola Avenue, a few blocks fromthe dome. ¶ There still is a decided afterglowinNewOrleans fromthe Saints’ stirring run to their first Super Bowl title, in their first Super Bowl appearance, last season.The team’s attempt toproduce aproper encorebeginswith the NFL’s opening game, at home Thursday night against theMinnesota Vikings and their quarterback, Brett Favre, a nationally televised rematch of last season’s NFCtitlegame.¶But the story line changes for theSaintsas this seasonbegins.Last season theywere the loveable losersmade good, a symbol of rebirth for a city and a region still working its way back from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.¶Thehardshipshave continuedwiththegulfoil spill, andtheSaints remaina rallyingpoint,asourceofcivicpride.But theconnectiontothe“Aints”of thepast, the franchise thatoncewasalaughingstock, isanever-fadingmemory.TheseSaintsare champions.
saints continued on D8
GERALD HERBERT/ASSOCIATED PRESS “The city ofNewOrleans and the people, they look at the team as part of their family,” saidHokie Gajan, a former Saints running back and now radio broadcaster.
PAUL J. BERESWILL/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rohan Bopanna of India, left, and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan embrace after winning their semifinalmatch. “The crowd is getting bigger,” Qureshi said.
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