Don't tell me these guys don't care and are just cashing their paychecks

From Mike Wise's WaPo column this morning:

Brian Orakpo's baritone voice emoted a one-word expletive in the corner of the locker room, so thunderous many of his teammates turned around.

"I'm tried of this [stuff]!" the rookie added, muttering to no one in particular as he sat by his cubicle. "Every week you come out and this same [stuff] happens. We prepare, we work hard and then this. I can't deal with it . . . I can't deal with it."

I don't understand the folks at home games (I won't call them "fans") who crowd around the tunnel to boo and hurl insults at the players as they head inside. I can't help but feel bad for what these guys are going through, and its clearly tearing them up. Their confidence is already shattered - why taunt them? What is that supposed to fix?

A couple of links while I'm at it:

- Thankfully, Larry Johnson is apparently not an option to fill in for Portis. I try to minimize judging athletes on personality/character issues, but Johnson would bring in a level of douchery (and negative press attention) that this team doesn't need.

- Each Monday Football Outsiders publishes an "Audibles at the Line" column which summarizes the emails the writers send to each other while watching their Sunday football, and this week the Redskins game leads off. A spirited defense is mounted for Jason Campbell. Coming into this season, I agreed with all the arguments in his favor (he's a solid player behind a lousy line, etc) but as I've pointed out in my game reviews he's regressed to the point even when he does get protection he no longer knows what to do with it. I truly like Campbell, but I think he's broken. I hope they're right that he could resurrect his career on a better team.

- Hogs Haven summarizes the medical carnage from yesterday. Of particular note are Portis and Santana trying out for the Malcolm Gladwell All Star Team. Scary stuff, and no matter how bad we need a win they need to stay off the field until they are totally clear of concussion systems. I remember reading a suggestion somewhere that the word concussion should be ditched in favor of "brain injury." You wouldn't try to rush a guy back from a brain injury, would you?