May 2 / Todd

Jimmy ‘effin Moreland to the Washington Redskins!

HTTR baby! In a heartwarming for Todd, soulcrushing for Rob manner, none other than our all-time favorite JMU player, Dukes DB Jimmy ‘effin Moreland (Rob even gave him his nickname for crying out loud!) was drafted in the 7th Round of the NFL Draft by none other than the Washington Redskins. As you know, Jimmy is from Florida so this isn’t a “hometown” thing for him personally. But for tons of Dukes fans from the DMV, this is stunningly glorious news.
First to the substantive part of this. That JMFM fell to the 7th Round when many of us hoped, and many experts predicted, he could go as high as the 3rd, had started to turn the whole draft process into a letdown. And Jimmy said as much post-draft when he essentially said he’ll be playing with the same chip on his shoulder that carried him to the highest of highs in the ‘Burg. In fact, in true GOAT fashion, when asked how he had so many interceptions (a program record 18 but we see you Rashad) at JMU, Jimmy simply said “I’m a dog!” Damn right! 
But when he ended up being selected by Washington, well that’s when things got personal (more on this momentarily). Despite local radio turds-with-a-microphone like Chad Deuche decrying that “he didn’t play against real competition,” the move, and surprisingly the Skins’ draft as a whole, was hailed as a winner by many who know a whole lot more about this stuff than we do.
So on that personal note. I’m a lifelong Skins fan. Or at least I was. Growing up and well into my 20’s, I was as diehard as they come despite leaving RFK for the shittiest professional stadium experience in American sports, a willingness to live only in the past, and historically, comically bad management by the worst owner in the world. Like a lot of others given the attendance the last five years or so, the Snyder era had ground me down to nothing. Concussions and general assholery by the league didn’t help and neither did my growing devotion to, and appreciation for, college football Saturdays easily trumping any interest I had in devoting Sundays to a boring, distasteful product. But at its core, it was about Snyder and the Skins just sucking. I joked with friends about trying to support another team. And I certainly didn’t watch after September. But deep down, fandom is an emotional decision, and one of the most wildly irrational decisions at that. I knew in my heart of hearts that if the team ever won again, I’d be back. Or maybe, just maybe, if they ever gave me a reason to root. Needless to say, this was a bolt of lightning. It really does say something that two of the three happiest days of Skins fandom in the Snyder era were offseason moves (Gibbs coming back and beating the Cowboys to win the division in the Romo-debacle game being the others). But I know for sure that if Jimmy is healthy, I’ll be watching every minute of the preseason for the first time in twenty years. And heaven help Rob if he makes the roster, much less if he AND Andrew Ankrah make it. I swore a decade ago I’d never buy anything “officially licensed” again that might put even a cent in Snyder’s pocket, but if Jimmy’s on the team Week 1, I have a feeling I’m not the only Dukes fan who will be absolutely making a jersey purchase!
HTTR indeed!

4 Comments

leave a comment
  1. Tidewater Duke / May 2 2019

    Like you I am a lifelong Skins fan. (Since I was five 1955, and I was watching the last couple of hours of the draft. ( I had finished playing golf and was enjoying a fresh martini ) when I saw my team’s seventh round pick come up. I was so pumped up I only spilled half of my martini. What a great day!

  2. Tripp / May 2 2019

    Definitely going to have to consider a jersey… HTTR JFM!!!

  3. Hart / May 2 2019

    Don’t care about the Skins, but I will watch them with Moreland and Ankrah. Preseason camp in Richmond is a must; perhaps a JMUSportsblog Tailgate on one of the Saturdays? Would be a definite “must attend” for every Dukes fan in Virginia.

  4. M@ / May 3 2019

    I was a Redskins victim and living out of the local area (and Sunday Ticket being SOOOOOO expensive) I gave up on the whole NFL.

    Then they pulled me back in with this draft pick…

Leave a Comment

%d bloggers like this: