Let’s say — and I know this is a crazy hypothetical, but play along with me — let’s say you’re a Redskins fan who’s feeling a little demoralized. Team was just DEMOLISHED on national television, coaching rumors are flying, you’re distracted by the holidays and hockey and who knows what-all else, and you’re having a little trouble drumming up the usual furious motivation for Dallas Week. Well, here’s something new to get cranky about.
Full disclosure: Shaun Suisham was a blog favorite when he was here. Good guy, always willing to answer a question or suggest some sort of blogging topic, always willing to put up with my dumb Canadian stereotypes. As a player, he missed only three field goals this season — albeit three important ones — and as a person he was classy and professional even when he was summarily cut after the New Orleans game. I have no hard feelings toward Shaun Suisham whatsoever, especially on a personal level.
Still, when you watch his Tuesday media session with the Dallas media, it’s hard not to get just a little bit fired up when you see him say things like this:
“Certainly it’s a bit of a surprise. If you would’ve asked me a month ago would I have thought I’d be in this situation, no. When it comes down to it, though, it’s just about kicking field goals, and that’s what I’m here to do. And, man, I’m so excited to be back here in Dallas.”
And this:
“I’m excited to see a lot of familiar faces. I’m real excited to be here.”
And this:
“When you’re a kicker — or a player — all you can control is your performance on the field. And when you have a bad play, you know, you’re vulnerable. Players don’t make decisions; my only job is to kick, and I’m happy to be here in Dallas.”
Oh, and this:
“Yeah, I hope we keep rolling along to the playoffs here. That’s pretty exciting.”
Oh, he continued being classy and professional on the surface, of course, as when he was asked if he was angry with the Redskins for releasing him.
“No. It’s business. When you miss field goals … I carry my head high. I feel like I’m confident in what I do, and I feel like I’m gonna be able to help this team. So I was surprised to get released, but, like I said, when you miss a field goal you put yourself in that position, and thankfully I was able to land here in Dallas.”
And also when he was asked if he felt responsible for the Redskins loss in Dallas:
“That’s part of being a professional. I don’t have the luxury of feeling poorly for myself. It’s part of a football game. A lot of the games that we played in have been very close, so anytime you miss a field goal it is a big deal.”
And he didn’t even rise to the bait when the Dallas media joined in the national chorus bashing the trick play from Monday night.
“I didn’t run any of those plays,” he said, laughing.
The media pressed on — “Was Hunter Smith looking for you last night?” — and Suisham just grinned and stuck to the politically correct line: “I’m here to kick.”
So, yeah, classy and polite and all those good Canadian attributes, but it’s hard to get past all of that “I’m so excited to be in Dallas” stuff.
The Dallas media failed to ask any hard-hitting questions about poutine or mohawks — I know, I was shocked too! — but they did elicit one of the understatements of the year by asking Suisham if he knew much about the guys in Washington.
“I’m very familiar with the team,” he said. “I’ve been there parts of four seasons now, so I’m very familiar with personnel.” Yes, I’d say he’s “familiar” with “personnel” like his close friend Ethan Albright. Whatever.
Anyhow, watching that was enough to add yet another layer to the Redskins/Cowboys thing, and to start getting me in that rivalry mood. Which is good, because the dwelling-on-the-Monday-Night-debacle mood was getting old quickly.
