Redskins' Saga Continues As Albert Haynesworth Fails Test
July 30, 2010
At this point, it’s probably safe to call the recent drama between the Redskins and Albert Haynesworth a ‘saga’. And the finale of that saga doesn’t appear anywhere in sight. Thursday officially marked the first day of NFL training camp and everyone at Redskins Park anticipated the arrival, and appearance, of the offseason fiasco that is Albert Haynesworth. Did he really lose 30 pounds? Is he actually in shape? Will he bring a fresh attitude? Will he even show up? Fat Albert showed up. According to reporters stationed in Ashburn at Redskins Park, Haynesworth arrived bright and early Thursday morning about two hours prior to the scheduled meeting time. A huge sparkling black Rolls Royce entered the parking lot and made it’s way towards the team headquarters, finally parking in the spot closest to the entrance. Out stepped the 6’6, 350-pound, Behemoth of a man. First thought (because we all have them): This guy should have parked farthest from the front door. New head coach Mike Shanahan has been begging Fat Albert to participate in offseason training exercises since March with no success – the least he could do is get a head-start by trekking across the parking lot. Second thought (because we have those too): Although it’s common knowledge that high-paid athletes ride in high-class cars; doesn’t it seem like a slap in the face of everyone to see Haynesworth’s troublesome ass riding up in his half-million dollar boat of a vehicle? Fast forward to the actual conditioning test for Fat Albert, conditioning tests that could have easily been avoided with participation in offseason team workouts. Although coach Shanahan would not get into the specifics of the “conditioning test”, reports claim that Fat Albert was instructed to run two 300-yard sprints with a break in between each. According to numerous sources, Shanahan felt that Haynesworth extended his breathers a little long during the first two sprints and ordered him to run a third and final 300-yard sprint. That’s where Haynesworth failed. Shanahan spoke after the team’s 4 p.m. practice today and said that Haynesworth will have the opportunity to take the test once a day until he finally passes. Once he passes, Shanahan said that he’ll look to get Haynesworth on the field as quick as possible in order to “compete for that position”. Until then, Haynesworth will workout inside the team headquarters away from the rest of the team. No one can really be all that shocked with Haynesworth’s latest antics. Sure you could say that he wasn’t assessed a fair test by the hard-nosed Mike Shanahan, but then you’d be taking the bad guy’s side. Fat Albert has done this to himself, he has put himself between a rock and coach Shanny and there’s no one to blame. The saga continues…