One sure way to get this town’s attention is to start talking Redskins football. Never mind that the leader of the free world lives here, and never mind that we have a real baseball team for the first time in three decades. The biggest attraction in town is wearing crimson and gold, so it follows that the biggest debate in town is who should be the starting quarterback. It’s not like those silly hearings over at the Capitol on the next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, after all that only shapes our lives for the next couple of generations. This is the Redskins, the thing that really matters in this town.

One of the overnight visitors to the blog made some coherent comments about why Brunell is the right guy to under center against the Cowboys come Monday night. Notice that I said his comments were coherent, not that they were right, just that he was able to make a point using correct spelling and grammar. Let’s take a look at what he said, and why he’s wrong.

His (I guess it was a guy) first point – “Brunell was a pro-bowl quarterback”. The key word here is was, because it was more than just a couple of years ago that Brunell had real value as a starting quarterback. Brunell is past the point in his career where he can lead a team to the playoffs. His role now should be to go in when the real quarterback is hurt, or holding out for more cash. His favorite plays all either involve handing the ball off, or dinking out a three yard over the middle pass. Neither of those inspires awe in a defense or stretch the field, two of the things it takes to score points.

The second point – “he (Brunell) looks relaxed and confident when he throws and Ramsey looks anxious and unsure”. Brunell could look poised in the pre-season when he was facing the second and third stringers. He was okay against the Bears on Sunday but he didn’t have the look of a leader. Favre and McNabb don’t have a very composed look most days either, but they do look like leaders and they find ways to win. Standing still in the pocket and being in charge are two different things. Brunell stands still in the pocket but he is not in charge.

Point number three – “At what point do you stop waiting for the potential to materialize?” I’d say we were watching that potential materialize in the first quarter. Which quarterback was it that showed he could make mistakes and shake them off to command a scoring drive? Which one actually got the ball into the end zone? That would be Ramsey. Brunell was the guy who was satisfied with field goal range and not willing to take a chance on the big play.

Final point – “. . . and since he is a hall of fame coach. . .”. I used to run the mile in six minutes flat, but those days are behind me. Gibbs HOF resume is behind him too. The application of football fundamentals has changed over the last decade and Coach is still playing catch up to the new game. He’s shown that he needs help with getting and keeping talented players in this new generation. I think he is in the process of turning this team around and as soon as he gets a winning quarterback he’ll be there.

In the world of today’s NFL you have to take chances if you are going to win games. No doubt that Joe Gibbs thinks that the QB switch is going to make them a better team. But how can you not notice that Brunell looks and plays like an old man, and there are not many old men that are willing to take chances. Gibbs needs to get over his fascination with Brunell, sooner rather than later.

What ever it is that Gibbs thinks he sees in Brunell had better be there Monday night. Because this is the Cowboys. The team that the Redskins love to hate, but can’t seem to beat. The team that is honoring three of their own by putting them in the “Ring of Honor” at halftime, perfectly timed to rub the ‘Skins noses in the misery of the past decade. It’s an owner taking a cheap shot at a rival owner.

And we are using a washed up and injury prone quarterback to defend the honor of our team. Can somebody please explain that to the rest of us?