The official site of Don Brashear

Sean Taylor played for the Washington Redskins from 2004 until 2007, when he was murdered in his home in a botched robbery. The team closed the season 4-1 after his death, but the team is still working to cope from the loss. The national outpouring of sympathy that went to the Redskins helped to ease the pain from the death of their star free safety. At the start of his last season, Sports Illustrated Magazine named him the heaviest hitter in the NFL, and it looked like it would be his breakout year. Unfortunately, his career was cut short before he could fully realize his potential with the Redskins.

The murder investigation has turned up several suspects in the killing, all aged 17-20. The gang was arrested late last year, in the weeks following Taylor's murder. Their trial is scheduled for August of this year. They are expected to cooperate with prosecutors, and will all be charged with second degree murder as per Florida law, which has all accomplices to murder charged with the same crime rather than just the person who carried out the act itself.

In the offseason, the Redskins have been recovering well from the loss, with no major issues being apparent in their lineup or spirit. New Head Coach Jim Zorn is taking over, coming from the Seattle Seahawks, whom he coached from 2001-2007. His presence should help the Redskins develop their sagging offense, particularly that of talented quarterback Jason Campbell.

The 1991 season was a very good one for the Washington Redskins. They took the season opener against the Detroit Lions 45-0, and never looked back. The team had scored 485 points on the season while only allowing 224, chalking up an impressive 17-2 record for the year. Starting quarterback Mark Rypien had an impressive squad at his command, and the team was the favorite heading into the Metrodome on January 29, 1992 to face off against the Buffalo Bills, still smarting after last year's close loss against the New York Giants.

Though both teams had set impressive scoring records during the regular season, the first quarter saw them still tied 0-0. Washington opened the scoring with a field goal in the second quarter, following it with a pair of touchdowns in quick succession to put the Redskins up 17-0 before the half. The Bills blew their single chance to score in the second, and became the eighth team to face a scoreless first half in the Super Bowl.

The Bills threw an unfortunate interception seconds into the second half, allowing the Redskins to capitalize and bring the score to 24-0. The Bills finally got a little traction, scoring a field goal and a touchdown, but the Redskins responded with one of their own, giving them a 31-10 lead going into the final quarter. Buffalo put it in high gear in the final minutes of the game, managing two more touchdowns, but the final score was 37-24 Redskins, and the trophy would be heading to the nation's capitol.

The Washington Wizards were eliminated in six games by the Cleveland Cavaliers in this year's playoffs, ending their hopeful season in an 88-105 loss at their home court. It seems like without Gilbert Arenas, the team just didn't have the offensive strength to keep up with Lebron James' Cavs. This was the culmination of a long and tendentious rivalry with the Cavaliers, but it probably won't be the end of it. Now the Wizards have more wounds to nurse from their playoff loss.

Arenas is apparently jumping ship from his team now, apparently dissatisfied with their performance in recent years relative to his ability. What this will mean for the Wizards going forward isn't certain - he will be opting out of the final year of his contract, becoming a free agent at the start of next season. However, he has also expressed interest to take a longer contract with the Wizards, and the management has also stated that they intend to keep him on board. What happens when he makes his decision on June 30th will be a matter for Wizards fans to pay close attention to.

Arenas, no matter what team he stays at, will probably be ready for training camp by the beginning of October. Free agent Antawn Jamison will also likely stay with the team, and Arenas has even said that he would take a pay cut if it were necessary to keep his teammate with the franchise. Next season, the Wizards might have far more success if all of their top players stay healthy.

The Washington Capitals have announced a pair of contract signings, inking one proven veteran in Matt Bradley and one fresh-faced kid in Karl Alzner.

Bradley, 29, has spent the past three seasons with the Capitals, totaling 18 goals and 32 assists in 208 games. Before arriving in Washington, Bradley played three seasons with the San Jose Sharks and one with the Pittsburgh Penguins, earning a reputation for being a hard working third- or fourth-line winger. And he's lived up to the billing with the Capitals, proving to be a reliable checking winger and occasional penalty-killer. According to the terms of his new contract, Bradley will earn $3 million over the next three years.

Alzner, who won't turn 20 until September, signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Caps, the exact terms of which were not disclosed. He was Washington's No. 1 draft choice (5th overall) in 2007. A native of Burnaby, British Columbia, Alzner spent last season with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League. The 6-foor-2, 210-pound defenseman scored seven goals and 36 points in 60 games while finishing a plus-26. His performance earned him the WHL Player of the Year and WHL Defenseman of the Year honors.

Alzner has won two gold medals with Team Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championships. He even served as captain of the 2007-08 squad. The Hockey News named Alzner the top prospect in the Washington organization, and he should be another important building block alongside other young stars like Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Mike Green.

While the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins are still battling it out for the Stanley Cup, Washington Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin has already begun collecting his awards and honors for a spectacular 2007-08 regular season.

Ovechkin was in Pittsburgh to receive the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading point scorer and the Maurice Richard Trophy for leading the league in goals. Ovechkin is also expected to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP during the annual Awards Ceremony in Toronto on June 12, and he's also the favorite to collect the Lester B. Pearson Award as the league's top player as voted by the players.

It was a truly overwhelming season from Ovechkin, who led the league with 65 goals and 112 points. His 65 goals were the highest single-season total since the great Mario Lemieux potted 69 in 1995-96. The 65 goals also established a new career-high for the Russian superstar, who scored 52 in his rookie season of 2005 before netting 46 last season. The 112 points marked his second career 100-point season, surpassing his rookie total of 106.

Ovechkin's true accomplishment, however, was leading the Washington Capitals back to the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Despite Ovechkin's best efforts, the Caps fell to the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, losing Game Seven in overtime. The disappointing defeat did little to tarnish Ovechkin's otherwise marvelous season.

Sean Taylor

Super Bowl XXVI

Wizards Eliminated by Cavs

Caps Sign Pair

Ovechkin Wins Awards