In D.C., it’s time to pour the wine and cut the cheese. Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth finally has passed coach Mike Shanahan’s conditioning test.
Rick Maese and Jason Reid of the Washington Post report that Haynesworth, after more than a week, has managed to complete two 300-yard shuttle runs within the allotted time period.
So why do we feel like we should be putting the word passed in quotations?
Let’s consider the fact that Haynesworth showed up at 6:00 a.m. to “prepare” for the test, and that an unnamed source told Reid that Haynesworth “will” pass it.
That’s a lot of confidence regarding the abilities of a guy who has been limited for eight days -- and thus presumably in no better shape than when he last failed the test -- due to a balky knee that flared up when he failed the test a second time.
Excuse our skepticism on this, but I once handled a case in which an out-of-shape applicant for a law enforcement job “passed” a fitness test behind the closed door of the sheriff’s office. So it really isn’t a stretch to wonder whether Haynesworth “passed” the test with only the player and Shanahan on the practice field.
It would make sense. Shanahan had been stuck in a corner with a large brush in his hand and wet paint all around him. By refusing to let Haynesworth practice until he “passed” the test, Haynesworth had no chance of learning the team’s 3-4 defense. But if Shanahan had relented on the position that Haynesworth won’t practice until he passes the test, Shanahan would have lost considerable face.
So even if Haynesworth legitimately passed the test, we think there’s no way that, after nine days of missed practice, he wasn’t going to “pass” it today.