Washington HotCakes

Grant why do you love Tyler Owens?

Look at Otani‘s teammates. These are MVP, superstar players, acting like children. They cannot believe what they’re seeing. It shouldn’t be possible. They know how insane this is, better than anybody. There are 7 billion people alive, and one is capable of this.

When I was first credentialed to attend Redskins camp 26 years ago, Rick Snider was a heavy hitter on the beat. Few people have been as supportive to me in the decades since. I've sat next to him in the press box at hundreds of games. I borrowed his binoculars so many times that at a December game years ago, he wrapped up a new pair of binoculars for me as a Christmas gift. That was Rick. The worst thing about this season will be sitting next to the seat he should be occupying. As I wrestle with his sudden passing, the thing I keep coming back to is how much work he put into keeping in touch with people. You heard from him constantly. A DM. A text. Something small. Recently: A picture of his "Senior SmaTrip" card bragging about getting half-price fares. A picture of the WaWa in Dahlgren as he drove through my home town. Letting people know that you're thinking about them is such an awesome thing to do. Putting in the work to be a friend is such a wonderful quality. He was so good at that. It's something I'll try to do better moving forward. The other thing I've thought about is that he gave feedback constantly. Most of the time it was positive but sometimes he would say less comfortable things that he thought you needed to hear. "Be careful about doing..." or "you don't need to be working this much, you've got a wife and kids at home.." Serious stuff. Rick was a very unique person. Old-school journalist. Took the profession VERY seriously. He would tell you if he thought you screwed up. But he was also more willing to give you roses for the good stuff than pretty much anybody I've met in sports media. I think that's because of how much he loved his industry. One other thing: On July 28th he told me Jacory Croskey-Merritt was going to be the starting RB for the Commanders this season. Camp had just begun. I thought he was nuts. Rick was a hard-ass with an unbelievable heart. He loved his family and bragged about his grandkids all the time. I'm thinking about them tonight. I'm thinking about his long-time media buddies who knew him longer than I did, too. Hug your people. Give 'em 2 minutes when you can. That's what matters.