Farewell, Clinton Portis

Hearing that your favorite team cut a star player is always hard to deal with, especially when he played in two Pro Bowls and exhumed unmatched charisma like Clinton Portis. by Jason Krakower

Well, it’s finally that time.  In the rebuilding process that has defined the Washington Redskins in the last couple years, we knew that the nation’s capital would eventually have to say goodbye to some veterans, so nobody was that surprised when the news came out yesterday that the ‘Skins released Clinton Portis.

Even though this decision was a long time coming, I’d still like to say a few words and reminisce as a Redskins fan about some of Portis’ best moments in D.C. I won’t mention his nagging injury problems or his fading ability toward the end of his run (well, I guess I won’t mention them again), I’ll just give you a few reasons why most people in the D.C. area loved this guy for seven years.

Portis played in only 5 games in 2010, the fewest in his nine year career.

1) I got to start with his first impression on ‘Skins fans: A 64-yard touchdown run on the team’s first offensive play of the 2004 season. He had just been traded from Denver for Champ Bailey, my favorite player at the time, and I honestly wasn’t sure about this guy when he debuted. But, along with seemingly everyone wearing burgundy and gold that Sunday, I came around after he sent the crowd into a frenzy on his first touch. He went on to rush for over 1,300 yards that season. Welcome to Washington, Clinton Portis…oh, indeed.

2) The dude was as tough as any running back I’ve seen in the last decade. He could lower his shoulder and take a hit, he could fight for the extra yards, and he could block better than some fullbacks. Ask Matthias Kiwanuka (30 seconds into the video). He may not have had the straight speed of Chris Johnson or the agility of Reggie Bush, but he could do it all.

3) He was also a clown, and that made him (along with fellow clown Chris Cooley) my favorite Redskins. He and ex-Wizard Gilbert Arenas were considered the most ridiculous guys in Washington in the 2000s (actually, let’s limit that to Washington sports teams). Their childlike behavior was always great, and Portis even came up with a slew of alter egos that were always hilarious. You had Bro Sweets, Coach Janky Spanky, Sheriff Gonna Getcha, Choo Choo, and Southeast Jerome, among others.

I know it’s a business and he wasn’t putting up the numbers anymore, but I’m sad to see him go and I hope he finds that old spark somewhere else. Just as long as the next player he destroys on a block isn’t on the Redskins.