Ben Standig

Announcement: I did a thing. New home for my written Commanders coverage. I'm excited for everyone to join the adventure. First up, the mission statement for "Last Man Standig."

Former Wizards Landry Shamet (23-24) and Dillon Jones (25-26) have made the NBA Finals with the New York Knicks. It marks the 18th straight NBA Finals that will feature a former Wizard — a streak that dates back to 2009.

🎙 Commanders OTA preview with @john_keim & @RealBramW: 🏈 What to watch from Jayden Daniels on the field (and at the mic). 🏈 The schemes (even if much will remain under wraps). 🏈 Lineup/roster battles 🏈 Practice intensity 🏈 Styles. WRs. Bill. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/las…

Commanders' OTA sessions begin this week in Ashburn. Preview unlocked. Enjoy. open.substack.com/pub/lastmansta…

@jeskeets @Rachel__Nichols

Did ESPN spoil the Coach of the Year winner? The award is to be announced on Tuesday 😮

🎙 New episode: Commanders OTA preview with @john_keim & @RealBramW. Lots of Jayden Daniels talk. I also shared some memories about my longtime friend/heralded sportswriter Howard Fendrich, who passed away this week. Tom Gugliotta mention incoming. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/com…

The bizarre history. espn.com/nba/story/_/id…

Starting in 2018, there has oddly been an ex-Wizard in every NBA Finals. If the Knicks close out Cavs, the streak continues thanks to Landry Shamet (2023-24).

I’ve just learned of the passing of Howard Fendrich, from Associated Press. Tennis loses one of its great journalists. My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.

This is gutting. Howard was a person I sought out in any media room we shared. That was in Landover and D.C., but also Whistler, Sestrierre, Beijing and Milan. He was so diligent, a stickler, so sarcastic, just the best. He loved his family so much. Tragic apnews.com/article/howard…

Hard to put into words what the loss of Howard Fendrich means. He was a man of the world, traveling anywhere and everywhere to cover the biggest sporting events for AP. But D.C. was home, and when a job opened in 2005 because of the Nats' arrival, he jumped at the opportunity.

Howard Fendrich was one of the great sports storytellers. He will be missed. Our condolences to his family and friends. apnews.com/article/howard…

The world continues. I'm hosting on @team980 from 4-7 p.m. Things will be said.

It breaks my heart to share that my soulmate and father to Stefano and Jordan, Howard Fendrich, died Thursday. We had an amazing life and he had an incredible career. We were so proud of him and all his accomplishments. -Rosanna apnews.com/article/howard…

My friend @HowardFendrich passed away today. Allow me to share some thoughts. We met as teenagers, immediately bonding over our mutually insane love of sports, all the local teams and Cal Ripken Jr. We remained close ever since. I’ll admit I tend to have a high opinion of my sports takes and can be snobbish about whom I engage with in debates. No matter the topic, Howard was always my favorite foil, in large part because he never hesitated telling me when my opinions were very, very wrong. An award-winning writer with a quick wit, Howard covered D.C. sports and led the AP’s tennis coverage for two decades. He was a legend on deadline and respected by everyone. Roger Federer said as much in Howard’s obituary. I visited Howard when he worked in the AP’s Rome bureau. One trip I never made was to Wimbledon. I kept promising myself I’d get there one day so Howard could show me those hallowed grounds. As you can guess, I never went. I am furious at myself right now. Mostly, I’m devastated because those sports debates over lunches at Parkway Deli or in press boxes around town are no more. No more hearing him proudly brag about his two sons following him into sports journalism. No more chances to thank him for believing I could make it in this business when I wasn’t sure myself. I’m not covering the Commanders — or any team — without Howard’s push and guidance. The world doesn’t stop spinning, and sports debates will continue. They just won’t sound the same to me without Howard there calling balls and strikes. apnews.com/article/howard…

The new schedule sends David Blough immediately into the deep end. For more with @LoganPaulsenNFL ⤵️ podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/log…

For all the WR2 talk, Bill's performance might end up being the difference between the Commanders' offense being fine and oh, snap.