Haynesworth isn't Hurt, Just Lazy

The tests results are back and Albert Haynesworth, you are the father. Whoops wrong channel, turned on Maury instead of Sportscenter. Haynesworth did receive MRI test results today though concerning his knee, and they came back negative for any injury. If I had the talent, I'd photoshop Haynesworth's face on Peter Griffin's body when he falls and hurts his knee.

I'm seeing this whole "my knee hurts," as a ploy by Haynesworth to weasel his way out of conditioning, and maybe all of training camp. How long will Mike Shanahan have the Washington Redskins' highest paid player sit through practice? Will Haynesworth be allowed to start games if he can't complete this conditioning test?

Haynesworth is coming off looking lazy due to all of this. Laziness is one of the worst qualities to have, not only for athletes, but for any profession. It is especially worse for Haynesworth though, given his enormous paycheck. Sure, Shanahan wants to make a lesson out of him, and some Redskins' players say the test is too hard, but Haynesworth has no one to blame but himself. If he showed up to the team's mandatory conditioning camp, instead of being a Bitter Betsy about Shanahan's 3-4 defensive scheme, there would be no discussion.

Haynesworth just looks bitter and lazy though. I'm inclined to believe that if he were only a couple seconds slow, but was showing the necessary effort, Shanahan would let him through. Athletes tend to forget that they have the jobs the rest of us average men dream of. They are paid enormous sums of dough, so we expect them to work for their paycheck. Steinbrenner paid his players more than they deserved because he expected them to work harder after payday. It is a pride issue. You get paid $10 million, but you work as if you are paid $20 million. Haynesworth is paid $100 million but plays like he is paid $1 million.

This hurts the Redskins greatly. They have much higher expectations coming into this season than usual. Winning the division over the Cowboys or Giants may be out of the question, but an 8-8 season is within reach; and following the debacle of last season, 8-8 would be success. After acquiring Donovan McNabb, the Redskins offense went from a QB that could manage games, Jason Campbell, to a QB that can win them. Plus he'll have a grudge against the Eagles, so those 2 games will be exciting.

Without the giant mass of Haynesworth putting forth 100% effort on the D-Line though, the Skins' D is vulnerable. Even with McNabb, the Skins' offense will need some help from the D. Haynesworth needs to show some effort, join the practice squad and when the season starts, sack some QBs, stomp some faces, and win some games.

If he is the reason the Skins don't win games this year, he could be more hated in the district than Dan Snyder.