As with any team that has high expectations, questions about the future started surfacing immediately after the Caps were eliminated Saturday. As of Monday, we know the answers to at least two of them.

Every time they seem to be on the brink of elimination, they fight their way back. They just won’t give up. They continue to find ways to stay alive. That quality has brought them to game seven in Madison Square Garden.

First and foremost I’d like to offer my deepest and sincerest sympathies to Junior’s family. I’ve known Junior for years and have always been a fan of his. I often referred to him as the original Ray Lewis. His charisma and passion for the game was unmatched. It provided the blueprint for 52 of the Ravens.

I’ve listened to the experts all weekend, and in particular I heard Mel Kiper say the Redskins didn’t have the luxury of taking another quarterback in the fourth round after taking Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick. I say this team didn’t have the luxury of getting rid of so many picks to get Griffin in the first place.

Let’s start with the night before. My parents, two brothers, both sets of grandparents and many others traveled with me to New York, and they were with me in the hotel.

I’ve never tossed out a first pitch at a ballgame before and never played baseball growing up. But I always wondered how hard it could be to throw a baseball from the mound, a mere 60 feet, 6 inches away from home plate.

Sure he issued an apology Tuesday and tried to explain his remarks about the infamous Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro, but let’s be clear: Castro’s name has no business coming out of Guillen’s mouth in any way that relates to his duties as manager of a baseball team.

This audio supports what I’ve been saying all along. When Williams coached me in Washington, I don’t recall payouts or blatant discussions about money for hurting players. Pay for plays has always existed and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with teams offering pots of money for big plays. That’s totally different from pots of money for hurting guys and sending them off the field on carts.