Gary Clark

There's a good chance your blues career is on the right track if, at 27, you can count Eric Clapton as a fan. Gary Clark Jr., the prodigious guitar player from Austin, Texas, even counts the six-string legend as a friend. Last June, Clapton picked Clark as the lone newcomer on his Crossroads Guitar Festival bill. His blazing performance in Chicago was the talk of the show and left many of the 20,000 in attendance wondering, "Who is this guy?" Listen to reviewers and they'll say Clark, who plays a sold-out show at the 8x10 on Friday, is the man capable of bringing blues back to the mainstream, thanks to his virtuosic ability and a genuine aura of cool that never appears manufactured.

There's a good chance your blues career is on the right track if, at 27, you can count Eric Clapton as a fan. Gary Clark Jr., the prodigious guitar player from Austin, Texas, even counts the six-string legend as a friend. Last June, Clapton picked Clark as the lone newcomer on his Crossroads Guitar Festival bill. His blazing performance in Chicago was the talk of the show and left many of the 20,000 in attendance wondering, "Who is this guy?" Listen to reviewers and they'll say Clark, who plays a sold-out show at the 8x10 on Friday, is the man capable of bringing blues back to the mainstream, thanks to his virtuosic ability and a genuine aura of cool that never appears manufactured.

Charley Casserly needs only five words to sum up his message."Judge us on our season," says the Washington Redskins general manager.He has repeated that phrase so often in the last few weeks that it virtually has become a mantra.It's Casserly's reply to the skeptics who are judging the Redskins on their off-season, which was virtually an off-season from hell.Or maybe it was the Murphy's Law off-season. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong.Joe Gibbs quit. Gary Clark left. Reggie White and Bill Romanowski snubbed them.

Next year's concert announcements are already starting to roll out. The German industrial metal band Rammstein will perform at 1st Mariner Arena, of all places, on April 25. Expect lots of pyrotechnics. The band is promoting a greatest hits package, "Made in Germany 1995 - 2011. " The band's "Sehnsucht" album, from 1997, is still the highest-selling non-English rock album, according to the RIAA . Tickets, starting at $58.80, go on sale Thursday. PS! and by the way, a bunch of Penn State academics are looking for contributions to their upcoming scholarly volume on Rammstein, whose "oeuvre has escaped the full-scale, in-depth treatment that it undoubtedly deserves.

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Redskins hope their alarm never sounds this year.They don't want to wake up now, because they're enjoying a dream season."

The maneuver was so secretive and subtle that several Washington Redskins players didn't even notice. When Joe Gibbs agreed two years ago to return to coaching after a 12-year hiatus, one of his first orders of business at the team's practice facility in Ashburn, Va., was the removal of poster-sized blowups of Sports Illustrated covers celebrating the franchise's three Super Bowl victories during Gibbs' first run in Washington. "He did?" defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin said when informed of Gibbs' order.

The Reggie White Sweepstakes officially opened yesterday.White's agent, Jimmy Sexton, said he got phone calls at his Memphis, Tenn., office from 10 teams, including the Washington Redskins, about the Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman who is one of the most coveted free agents in the NFL.But Sexton said that none of the teams made any offers and that White probably will visit the leading contenders before making any decisions."

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Redskins, who are the Not-Ready-For-Playoff-Time Players on the field, now have just one last shot to make the playoffs off the field.Because of their 21-20 loss to the Los Angeles Raiders on Vince Evans' 3-yard touchdown pass to Tim Brown with 13 seconds left yesterday at RFK Stadium, the Redskins can make it only if the Green Bay Packers lose to the Minnesota Vikings today.The Vikings are at home and favored by 2 1/2 points, but they've clinched a playoff spot as NFC Central champions and have nothing to play for; the Packers (9-6)

ASHBURN, Va. -- When Joe Gibbs speaks, the Washington Redskins listen.At least Gary Clark does.That was the obvious conclusion yesterday when Clark, who often skips practice with his sore hamstrings, ran every offensive play as the Redskins started their drills for Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks."

Someday, it will serve as a guest cottage and an office, but for now it is the house where Gary Clark and Joan Harris live with their two dogs, a springer and a yellow Lab.Clark and Harris have been enjoying their new, three-level dwelling in Carroll County since last fall, while they watch the construction of their permanent residence a few yards away.They bring professional eyes to the job. Clark is president and Harris vice president and treasurer of the GYC Group, a builder of homes in Howard and Carroll counties that fetch from $500,000 to more than $1 million in custom neighborhoods.

The maneuver was so secretive and subtle that several Washington Redskins players didn't even notice. When Joe Gibbs agreed two years ago to return to coaching after a 12-year hiatus, one of his first orders of business at the team's practice facility in Ashburn, Va., was the removal of poster-sized blowups of Sports Illustrated covers celebrating the franchise's three Super Bowl victories during Gibbs' first run in Washington. "He did?" defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin said when informed of Gibbs' order.

Someday, it will serve as a guest cottage and an office, but for now it is the house where Gary Clark and Joan Harris live with their two dogs, a springer and a yellow Lab.Clark and Harris have been enjoying their new, three-level dwelling in Carroll County since last fall, while they watch the construction of their permanent residence a few yards away.They bring professional eyes to the job. Clark is president and Harris vice president and treasurer of the GYC Group, a builder of homes in Howard and Carroll counties that fetch from $500,000 to more than $1 million in custom neighborhoods.

Charley Casserly needs only five words to sum up his message."Judge us on our season," says the Washington Redskins general manager.He has repeated that phrase so often in the last few weeks that it virtually has become a mantra.It's Casserly's reply to the skeptics who are judging the Redskins on their off-season, which was virtually an off-season from hell.Or maybe it was the Murphy's Law off-season. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong.Joe Gibbs quit. Gary Clark left. Reggie White and Bill Romanowski snubbed them.

PALM DESERT, Calif. -- In a high-tech, two-city televised news conference, the Phoenix Cardinals announced yesterday that they got a super receiver, Gary Clark, and a Super Bowl.When commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Phoenix owner William Bidwill announced at the NFL meetings here that Phoenix will be host to Super Bowl XXX in January 1996 it was televised live in Phoenix.The cameras then shifted to the Cardinals' training facility, where Arizona Gov. F. Fife Symington brought Clark, who spent eight years with the Washington Redskins, to the podium to unveil his new Cardinals jersey.

The Reggie White Sweepstakes officially opened yesterday.White's agent, Jimmy Sexton, said he got phone calls at his Memphis, Tenn., office from 10 teams, including the Washington Redskins, about the Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman who is one of the most coveted free agents in the NFL.But Sexton said that none of the teams made any offers and that White probably will visit the leading contenders before making any decisions."

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Redskins, who are the Not-Ready-For-Playoff-Time Players on the field, now have just one last shot to make the playoffs off the field.Because of their 21-20 loss to the Los Angeles Raiders on Vince Evans' 3-yard touchdown pass to Tim Brown with 13 seconds left yesterday at RFK Stadium, the Redskins can make it only if the Green Bay Packers lose to the Minnesota Vikings today.The Vikings are at home and favored by 2 1/2 points, but they've clinched a playoff spot as NFC Central champions and have nothing to play for; the Packers (9-6)

HERNDON, Va. -- Gary Clark had a simple message for Stan Humphries yesterday."We told him, 'Stick with us and we'll make you a star,' " Clark said with a smile.Clark was talking about the Washington Redskins' Posse, which consists of Clark, Art Monk and Ricky Sanders.When quarterback Humphries makes his first regular-season start Sunday against the Phoenix Cardinals, the Posse is the best thing he has going for him.It can make any quarterback look good.There's only one problem. The Posse hasn't been riding to the rescue for the Redskins this year.

PALM DESERT, Calif. -- In a high-tech, two-city televised news conference, the Phoenix Cardinals announced yesterday that they got a super receiver, Gary Clark, and a Super Bowl.When commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Phoenix owner William Bidwill announced at the NFL meetings here that Phoenix will be host to Super Bowl XXX in January 1996 it was televised live in Phoenix.The cameras then shifted to the Cardinals' training facility, where Arizona Gov. F. Fife Symington brought Clark, who spent eight years with the Washington Redskins, to the podium to unveil his new Cardinals jersey.

ASHBURN, Va. -- When Joe Gibbs speaks, the Washington Redskins listen.At least Gary Clark does.That was the obvious conclusion yesterday when Clark, who often skips practice with his sore hamstrings, ran every offensive play as the Redskins started their drills for Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks."

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Redskins hope their alarm never sounds this year.They don't want to wake up now, because they're enjoying a dream season."