By George Solomon
Sunday, December 18, 2005; E02

The Washington Redskins player of choice for this column -- wide receiver and special teamer Jimmy Farris -- has been on the team all of four weeks since Joe Gibbs recalled him from his couch in Atlanta, where he had been since being the final cut of training camp in September.

Last Sunday in Arizona, Farris, 27, was seen accompanying Antonio Brown nearly step for step on Brown's 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown late in the third quarter that carried the Redskins to a 17-13 victory and kept them in the playoff hunt that resumes this afternoon at FedEx Field against Dallas.

While Brown, at the end of his run, was blowing kisses to Redskins fans in the stands, Farris seemed about ready to make a risky block on a last defender in full view of all. Luckily for the Redskins and Farris, who was hit with a costly but questionable block-in-the-back penalty on a Brown punt return the week before, no meaningful contact occurred.

"So I'm running with Antonio -- it was so awesome -- and I've got a chance to take out this guy," Farris said. "But I remember the coaches telling us, 'If you've got a guy lined up but he's behind the play, leave him alone.' So instead of taking this guy out, I watched Antonio blow kisses."

This is Farris's fourth NFL team in three years -- and as he said before being cut by the Redskins, "I'm always on the bubble." But if Farris, who keeps moving up on the depth chart as other wide receivers go down, is on the bubble, he's loving every minute.

"I am such a fan," he said. "I love the history of the game. I'm from Idaho [he went to college at Montana], but I grew up rooting for the Giants because of Lawrence Taylor. I can't get enough of NFL Films. Coach Gibbs and Coach [Joe] Bugel let me look at tapes of Art Monk, Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders. I love the connection. I only wish I could have played for the Redskins at RFK Stadium."

And today at FedEx Field, for the 92nd time since 1960, including the playoffs, Washington meets Dallas in a series the Cowboys lead 54-35-2, in one of the most storied rivalries in the NFL. Farris will want a brief history lesson -- at least from my one-sided view -- of past Redskins-Cowboys games:

Best Comeback : In 1965, Sonny Jurgensen rallies the Redskins from a 24-6 third-quarter deficit to win, 34-31, when Lonnie Sanders blocks a field goal in the final moments. Jurgy and Sanders are still in town.

Best TD Pass : Billy Kilmer to Charley Taylor for 48 yards, New Year's Eve, 1972 NFC title game, with Cowboys defender Mark Washington making a futile last-second lunge in a 26-3 victory. Runner-up: Mark Brunell to Santana Moss, game-winner, Sept. 19.

Moments to Savor : Whenever legendary Cowboys coach Tom Landry emerged from the visitors' tunnel, in his natty hat and top coat, as the fans at RFK roared, "We want Dallas!" and the stands shook.

Best Sack : My friend Dexter, on Danny White, 1982 NFC title game.

Best Interception : Darryl Grant, same game, of Gary Hogeboom ("Survivor" contestant) and high-stepping into the end zone for game-clinching touchdown and trip to Super Bowl.

Best TD Run : Charley Harraway, 57 yards in the rain, at the Cotton Bowl, 1971, in George Allen's first victory over the Cowboys -- plus several memorable Riggo "50-Gut" runs.

Best Fight : Cowboys, in Irving, Tex., 1983, angry at the Fun Bunch end zone celebrations and QB Joe Theismann's on-field commentary that continues to this day.

Best Tackle : Ken Houston stopping Walt Garrison at the 1, late in the game, to preserve a 14-7 Redskins victory on "Monday Night Football," 1973, with Dandy Don and Howard Cosell in the ABC booth.

Best Taunt : Future NFL coach Sam Wyche, a reserve QB in 1972: "Die you Dallas dogs."

Worst Moment of Rivalry for Redskins: Don't ask.

Advice to Jimmy Farris: Enjoy today. It doesn't get any better.

Two years ago, before he had an office at Comcast Center, Maryland men's soccer coach Sasho Cirovski worked out of a trailer near the football office. His team still uses the trailer at a home field that has 4,000 seats.

What isn't so modest, however, is the NCAA's championship trophy Cirovski and his players brought back from Cary, N.C., after winning the title last weekend with victories over SMU and New Mexico. It was Maryland's first outright championship (the Terps shared the title with Michigan State in 1968) after appearing in the final four (College Cup) for the fourth straight year.

"I haven't been to sleep all week," Cirovski said the other day, still "overwhelmed" by congratulatory calls from other Terps coaches, more than 100 rival coaches (he's chairman of the Division I coaches association) and Terps who have played for him the past 13 years.

"I feel we became America's college soccer team, because of how we persisted," he said. "I feel so much joy from so many people."

Cirovski is a throwback to when coaches had to hustle to recruit players, fans and media.

"This is a tough market, with all the pro teams, plus 11 major colleges and everything else," he said. "I lobbied [Fox Soccer Channel] for a national college soccer package and worked hard to sell out all our weekend home games."

Senior Jason Garey, who scored 22 goals this year and could win soccer's version of the Heisman Trophy, was Maryland's key player, with great support from freshman goalie Chris Seitz and a game-winning goal last Sunday from Marc Burch. What a weekend. Maybe not USC-Texas, of course, but don't tell that to Cirovski.

If the D.C. Council rejects the stadium proposal Tuesday, voiding what MLB believes is a binding agreement with the city, the Nationals could be history. If that happens -- and the Nationals leave -- let me remind the council what many of us would miss most:

Chad Cordero fist-pumping after a save, the dignity of Frank Robinson, Charlie Slowes's home run calls, Nick Johnson's swing, Livan Hernandez when you need him, Placido Domingo singing the national anthem, parents and children in Nats hats, trying to get Barry Bonds out, the ushers at RFK, President Bush hanging out at the ballpark, Ron Darling, Burrito Brothers specials, my grandsons having dialogue with Screech, Ryan Zimmerman and the smell of a summer day, walking into RFK Stadium knowing a rally could rock the third base stands and that all this is a really good thing for the town and region.

Have a comment of question? Reach me at talkback@washpost.com. If the council votes no Tuesday, always resilient Baseball Gang regroups Wednesday night at Zola to discuss strategy to get the Florida Marlins to move here.