TIMEOUT: Haynesworth fighting a losing battle

Is there anyone, in Washington or beyond, who isn't completely fed up with Albert Haynesworth?

For some, it started the instant he arrived, riding into the city on the back of an insanely bloated contract for what many considered mediocre past production on the field.

Even though much of it had to do with the poor finagling of Redskins owner Dan Snyder, plenty of folks failed to see where the team stood to gain anything.

Fast forward to now, and what have we got on our hands?

An insanely whiny diva whose selfish ways are on full display for the world to see.

Of course, this time, he's not going up against the underqualified Jim Zorn at the helm of the 'Skins. Oh, no. This time, he has a viable foe in new head coach Mike Shanahan.

As a four-year resident of the Mile High City myself, I got a firsthand view of just how scary a guy Shanahan could be.

He was loved, hated and feared in Denver, by both the fans and by the Broncos themselves.

Was he tough? Absolutely. Was he intimidating? Sure. But I also think the guy was pretty fair.

Shanahan didn't usually ride guys that didn't need riding. He expected his players to put out a particular level of effort and when he didn't get it, he could become a huge nightmare for the slackers.

This Diva vs. Hardnose matchup doesn't look to pan out in Haynesworth's favor.

This week, Haynesworth made it known that he wasn't particularly fond of playing in the third quarter of the preseason game against Baltimore, making an appearance with the Redskins' second team.

Despite the fact the man missed all of training camp for being out of shape, he still felt he deserved to run with the big boys - you know, the ones who actually deserved to play in the opening quarters.

"Third quarter, though?" he said in a post-game interview. "I'm a ninth-year pro. I don't think I should've been out there in the third quarter."

Wah wah wah.

I don't think he should have received a $21 million bonus earlier this year. I don't think he should be banking on his past experience as a benchmark for what he should be taking care of in this moment.
But hey, that's just my opinion. Haynesworth is certainly entitled to his as well.

In fairness, I completely understand that Haynesworth has been battling headaches that may be attributed with rhabdomyolysis, a disorder that can flare up in heat-related scenarios.

But if it is true that he's sick, along with no preseason workouts, it makes perfect sense to me that he's not permitted to take on the intensity of the first half.

Haynesworth's terrible attitude makes it difficult to feel sorry for him, though. He's badmouthed the team and failed to take responsibility for his own shortcomings.

Even with a promising new regime for the Redskins, as long as Haynesworth remains in the mix, it looks to be another season of turmoil for Washington.